St Pierre grad student leads climate advisory council

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This article was published 11/03/2023 (885 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A young woman from St Pierre who is passionate about the role traditional knowledge plays in climate policy has been tapped to lead Manitoba’s next Youth Advisory Council on the Environment.

Annie Martel is a Francophone and Metis graduate student who is completing a master’s degree in environmental and social change at the University of Manitoba.

The 23-year-old’s research explores how local climate adaptation strategies can be informed by traditional Metis knowledge about the environment.

“Metis and Indigenous peoples in this area have a lot of knowledge about the environment, because they’ve been living with the land,” Martel said. “That means we’re also very good at noticing any changes to the environment.”

Martel applied to join the Youth Advisory Council “on a whim” after hearing about it in class. Manitoba created the Council in 2020 to “harness the forward-thinking perspective of young Manitobans on climate change and sustainable development issues.”

Some time later, her phone rang, and she learned she had been chosen to chair the Council, which includes 10 other members between the ages of 16 and 28 who hail from Winnipeg, Brandon, Morden, Swan River, Narol, and Dacotah.

The Youth Council reports to the Expert Advisory Council, an independent group of experts that advises Kevin Klein, Manitoba’s minister of environment and climate, on everything from climate adaptation to transportation and energy policy.

The Youth Council can provide advice on any issues and programs contained in Manitoba’s Climate and Green Plan. Previous Youth Councils have focused on the province’s revamped water management strategy and the new Carbon Savings Account.

Martel will serve a one-year term involving six to eight meetings. Klein will personally attend at least one of those meetings, the province said.

Martel said October’s provincial election won’t disrupt the Youth Council’s work.

“Climate change, it doesn’t know any borders, it doesn’t know any political parties,” she said. “But I think it should be a priority no matter what party (forms government).”

Martel was born and raised in St Pierre. She attended nearby École communautaire Réal-Bérard then finished high school at Pearson College in British Columbia. A bachelor’s degree followed at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick.

Martel said she always thinks about climate change through a Manitoba lens. As an undergrad, she led campus advocacy groups focused on climate change and refugees, two issues she now sees as intertwined.

“No matter what group I was in, I think climate change always popped up,” she said.

Participating in the groups gave her experience leading a group of peers toward a common goal.

Martel said she belongs to a generation that grew up talking about climate change.

“It will impact our generation the most,” she said. “A lot of us are worried. There’s terms such as ‘eco-anxiety’ now that are circulating. It’s really a major problem for youth—a lot of worry and fear about what the future holds.”

Martel said that tension produces two choices: despair or action. She’s encouraged to see so many youth choosing the latter.

“I think youth are really pushing the discourse forward on really having to act on climate change,” she said.

International summits, conferences, and accords come and go, sometimes with little apparent effect, and Martel said she isn’t immune to disappointment. But she a lot of encouraging signs as well, especially from other young, up-and-coming leaders.

“It’s really important for youth and other advocates as well to really put pressure on governments to really make things happen.”

Martel said climate change policymakers must pay attention to Indigenous and Metis peoples, who know how to live in harmony with the land.

She recounted how the Rat River area was settled by eight Metis families who knew it was best to harvest and trap only what they needed to survive.

“It’s just kind of part of the culture, that you don’t take more than what you need.”

Martel said she hopes the Youth Council makes Manitoba’s government sit up and listen.

“I really want to make sure that Indigenous voices are heard in this province,” she said. “Indigenous groups are the first impacted by climate change, and they’re the ones who usually contribute the least to climate change.”

She’s also excited to bring a rural perspective to the Council.

“I think it is important to listen to rural voices because we face many different challenges than urban areas might.”