September 9, 2026
by Bill Stovin
A seniors’ caravan of electric vehicles rolled into Vancouver Wednesday, September 9 with a message for Prime Minister Carney and other parliamentarians. The group of 20 people from Vancouver Island and elsewhere started their 11-day journey to Ottawa yesterday, calling on the federal government to invest in clean energy and climate resilience, not new fossil-fuel pipelines.
One of the organizers from Seniors’ Climate Witness, Michael Polanyi, who has been active on climate issues for decades, says the caravan has come together quickly and reflects conversations between seniors in Victoria.
“We are very concerned about the future safety and security of our children and grandchildren particularly with the severe wildfires affecting so many communities and Canadians this summer. I think what it reflects is a deep concern and a deep sense of responsibility to those we love who are going to be on this planet much longer than we are.”
At a rally in Vancouver, the climate caravan got a rousing send off from supporters led by renowned environmental activist and scientist, David Suzuki, who is now 90 years old.
“This is our moment as elders. This is a time to get off the couch. Let’s get on with it. We’ve been so focused on such things as our jobs and the economy that we’ve been blind to the reality of what we’re doing to nature itself.”
One member of the Seniors Climate Witness encouraged by that support is 75-year-old Richard Demontigny of Victoria.
“There’s a lot of anxiety not just about the climate but the economy being taken over by the United States. I just thought if we can do something to change that fear into hope that it would be beneficial.”
Demontigny has been driving an electric vehicle for seven years. Ever since he retired, he says he has had more time for climate activism.
“It’s not just about stopping pipelines. It’s about motivating Canadians to actually do something about getting on board with these issues and what the climate crisis is doing to our forests and farms.”
The caravan will be joined by others from cities and towns across Canada as they travel across the country, with stops in the four Western provinces and Ontario.
Caravan members will meet with people along the way to get their climate stories firsthand.
“We will be speaking to Canadians who have been directly impacted by this summer’s wildfires and extreme heat and floods in different communities. We will endeavour to deliver their stories and pictures to Parliament,” Michael Polanyi says.
The group has asked for a meeting with the Prime Minister but has not heard back yet. Members of the caravan plan to converge on Ottawa September 19 for what they describe as a week of public witness and nonviolent action as Parliament reconvenes.
“We are trying to bring a hopeful message. Canada has so much potential in terms of knowledge and resources. We are hoping Canadians will come together around a clean and safe future for future generations.”
See where the Caravan is now and read other articles about their progress on this map.
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