Les jeunes
submergent
le défi de
l'affiche

Falls Brook Centre
organisait récemment
un concours
provincial d'affiches
et il contactait chaque
école au
Nouveau-Brunswick
pour lancer un défi
aux étudiant(e)s afin
qu’ils (elles) pensent
à des moyens
d'arrêter le
changement
climatique. 
Le vrai défi
maintenant est de
"mettre ces idées
en action".

 

 

 

 


"We shouldn’t wreck parks to make mills. Mills make pollution and parks don’t. Parks are places where you can play and you can’t play at mills. You can have picnics, play catch with a frisbee and at mills all you do there is work."
 - Matt Patterson, Grade 6

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"Bien sur, les gens aiment beaucoup mieux la terre parfaite et c’est pour cela qu’ils vont voir les solutions que je leur propose...Le temps presse! Agissons maintenant!"
 - Jolène la Vigne-Albert, 7ème annee

---------------

"Start Now- 
STOP GLOBAL WARMING! -Quick Showers! Turn off the lights when you exit! Bike! 
Eat Local Fruit, Save Gas!"
- Kristin Blackmore,
Grade 6

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"I am interested in science and animals. My poster shows that the earth has a problem. It isn’t healthy. I’ve shown some ways to make it more healthy: 
URGENT! WE are making the Earth’s climate SICK! 
ACT NOW Save Energy. Reduce Emissions. Plant Trees. Recycle. Drive Less instead Walk, Bike."
 - David T.  Sentner, age 8

---------------

"En s’unissant et en s’entraidant, nous pouvons faire quelque chose contre les changements climatiques... Nous devrions faire du covoiture, prendre plus souvent le transport en commun, utiliser plus frequemment sa bicyclette ou la marche."
 - Marie-Hélène D’Amours, 
8ème année 

---------------

"You don’t need to drive to school in a car or a bus, just walk to school and help our earth!"
- Erin Fenety, Grade 4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


(from the poster by: 
Kristen Blackmore)

        

Youth Overwhelm
Poster Challenge

   Tegan Wong,
   Falls Brook Centre
   April 2000

 

  he first week of March, a pile of thoughts, ideas and solutions regarding climate change began growing on my desk. The depictions of our current plight of consumption, waste, and deforestation were at times grim. Equally plentiful were the ideas of simple actions everyone can do to both reduce the use of fossil fuels and contribute to the restoration and rehabilitation of the earth. All in all, this was the most colourful assemblage of work surrounding climate change I have ever encountered! The Climate Change Poster Challenge was a huge success.

First place poster: Erin Fenety, Grade 4


In November 1999 Yuka Ota, an intern working at Falls Brook Centre, began the huge task of contacting every school in New Brunswick to challenge their students to think of ways to stop climate change through a province-wide poster contest. The response was incredible! We received posters from Edmundston, Lakeville, Fredericton, Moncton, Juniper, Napan, Grand-Sault, Florenceville, St Joseph, and the list goes on. Entries were in French and English from students in grade 2 to grade 11.

It was very difficult to choose out finalist since each brought forth their own creative thoughts and solutions for decreasing our impact on the global climate. Overwhelmingly, students recognized the importance of reducing the use of private cars by switching to public transit, bicycles, walking, and other fossil-fuel-free modes of transport. Students were also keen on planting trees - recognizing that the health of our forests is connected to the quality of the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat. 

The ideas expressed were not new but the real challenge that the students of New Brunswick have now is to put these ideas into action!

"I believe that Climate Change should be taken care of soon. Not only by the people around us but politicians too. Our world could be a lot cleaner if we could agree on a plan. If we only dream of thoughts without any action to build a foundation for those dreams, how will life be for our children?"
- Jason Parisé, Juniper N.B.

 


Finalist for the grade 10 to 12 category
- Olivia Cormier, Grade 11

"Sustainability is our Goal.  Once our 
earth is gone... there is NO second chance."



In the end, five finalists were chosen from  
three categories. 

    Grade 2 - 5 category: 
1st prize: Erin Fenety, Fredericton 
2nd prize: David T. Sentner, Carleton Co. 
and Cody Marr, Hocken’s Corner
3rd prize: Natasha Moran, Napan 
    Grade 6 - 9 category: 
1st prize: Jolène la Vigne-Albert, Edmundston 
2nd prize: Kristin Blackmore, Fredericton 
3rd prize: Marie-Hélène D’Amours, Madawaska
    Grade 10 to 12 category:
The finalist was Olivia Cormier, Dieppe

All first prize winners received a new mountain bike from Kelly’s Bike Shop and Steve’s Bike Shop in Woodstock. All second prize winners received a Dynamo and Solar Radio generously donated by Lee Valley Tools. Third prize winners received $25 gift certificates. Two were donated by the Body Shop in Fredericton and one was donated from Mountain Equipment Co-op.

1st prize goes to Jolène la Vigne-Albert (grade 7, Edmundston)
 (poster: Jolène la Vigne-Albert)


Following the contest, Falls Brook Centre hosted an Earth Day Celebration at Officer’s Square in Fredericton. Honoured were the efforts of the students from across the province who participated in the Climate Change Poster Challenge.  

Braving the cool April drizzle, kids challenged their parents to find their way through the Climate Change Maze and everyone worked together to build a huge tree orchestra with the heartwood gang chanting:  "I am Heartwood I am Strong", the bark group marching in a wide circle "1...2...3..DEFENCE", and the leafy people
reached to the sun beyond the clouds saying "Ooo..Ooo the SUN".  
However, despite our valiant efforts the sun remained hidden and the poster contest awards ceremony was bumped ahead to prevent the inevitable shattering of teeth from the wet cold. This was the best part of the day: kids and their families had come form all over the province to see their posters honoured and their faces beamed. Dave Besner, assistant deputy minister of the Environment and Local Government, presented the grand prize winners and all other finalists received a native tree seeding from the Acadian Forest Restoration Nursery at Falls Brook Centre.

The reception held at the Lord Beaverbrook Hotel allowed families from across the province to meet, talk and warm themselves up with tea and coffee. Erin Fenety, the 1st place winner in the grade 3 to 5 category, made a speech asking the government to provide recycling services in all areas in the province and to invest in public transit to reduce the need to drive cars. Dave Besner agreed to take her message back to the Ministry of Environment and local government. In addition, over the next few months, Mr. Besner will be compiling all of the ideas and demands presented in the posters entered in the climate change poster contest to provide direction for the Ministry. All in all the atmosphere of this day was hopeful. With students like Erin guiding the way, maybe we'll have the will and dreams to make a difference!