There was dancing in Simcoe Park on Seniors Day, but it was not in celebration.
The dance was one of more than 70 events planned across Canada to recognize Seniors Day, but in Niagara-on-the-Lake, it was organized by Seniors for Climate Change who organized the dance and flash mob that took place to highlight the need for getting all governments involved in doing more toward climate mitigation.
Organizer Lidija Biro and other members of the local organization had been planning this event for a month or so, Biro said, to be held to the music of the BeeGees popular song, Staying Alive.
Speaking to the Local prior to the event, Biro discussed the importance of seniors getting involved in both bringing attention to the ongoing climate crisis and approaching all levels of government to start making positive steps toward a solution — change isn’t happening fast enough, she said.
She also wanted to have youth involved — it’s youth who have been demanding “urgent action on climate change,” she said. “Seniors are now joining youth to demonstrate that they too are prepared to put their time and energy into rebuilding a sustainable planet for their grandchildren and for generations to come.”
Biro described climate change concerns as the “defining issue of this decade,” and spoke of the need “to stop using fossil fuels and to look for renewable energy sources to produce the energy that is needed.”
“We as seniors are very concerned about the climate crisis,” she said, and are thinking of their children and grandchildren. “We are concerned about the world we are leaving for them,” with more and more serious weather events occurring, she explained.
“We would like our political officials to stop talking and start acting," but it’s not about partisan politics, she said. “We’d like each party to have a sound climate policy to address the changes in our climate.”
The dance caught the attention of several visitors to town, who stopped at the entrance to Simcoe Park to sing along and take photos of the dancers.