A West Kelowna woman is leading a climate march in Kelowna on Sept. 17.
“I decided if I can’t join a protest, I’m going to make one myself,” said Bobbi Vojtko, a school teacher with School District 23.
Vojtko and her family were evacuated from their home in Shannon Lake when a wildfire swept through the Central Okanagan.
The family first moved to the Okanagan six years ago and Vojtko said each year since there has been threat from a wildfire.
“I’m worried for my children. We moved to the Okanagan because we love the outdoors but what will the future look like? How many smokey days, heat domes and extreme wildfires do we have to live through?”
The school teacher had intended to join planned climate protests in the area, but her research found no such events planned. Vojtko made the decision to host the protest herself.
“I have never done this before, and I am not a seasoned activist. Like many other people, I feel anxious and need to do something,” adds Vojtko. “This is an event for everyone. You don’t have to have all the answers but if you are concerned about wildfires, drought and extreme heat, we need you to attend.”
In partnership with the Okanagan Climate Hub, Vojtko’s protest will start at noon outside Kelowna City Hall. The hope is to bring people from all political spectrums together to show city leaders that citizens care about climate action and something needs to be done.
Learn more about the protest and the Okanagan Climate Hub at okanaganclimatehub.ca.
READ MORE: ‘It’s complicated’: Premier committed to rebuilding fire-ravaged North Shuswap
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