On Saturday evening we attended a Climate Change documentary screening and panel discussion with Dr. David Suzuki, and then on Sunday we ventured down to the Annual Downtown St. John's Christmas Parade!
Panel Discussion at the Climate Change event
The Climate Change event on Saturday started off with a few speeches (including one by David Suzuki), before the screening of the film. In case, like Luke, you're not sure who David Suzuki is, then all you need to know is that he is essentially the Canadian equivalent of David Attenborough. He is a geneticist, zoologist, long-time science broadcaster, and climate change activist. His speech before the film was fascinating, and he is obviously passionate about the subject.
The documentary that was screened is called Climate Change in Atlantic Canada and it was comprised of interviews of people in Atlantic Canada who have already seen the effects of climate change in their communities. While there were some climate change professionals in the film, it was mainly focused on everyday people who have seen drastic changes in weather in their lifetimes.
Here's a trailer for the documentary:
The documentary that was screened is called Climate Change in Atlantic Canada and it was comprised of interviews of people in Atlantic Canada who have already seen the effects of climate change in their communities. While there were some climate change professionals in the film, it was mainly focused on everyday people who have seen drastic changes in weather in their lifetimes.
Here's a trailer for the documentary:
The panel discussion afterwards was interesting, and the audience had a chance to ask questions following the initial discussion. There was a real community feel there and it seemed as if everyone was interested in environmental issues and truly cared about what is happening to the planet. Although one woman took it a bit far when she said she used to volunteer in an eco-terrorism organization and asked Dr. Suzuki if he supported that. In case you're curious, he doesn't support filling gasoline engines with sugar and planning attacks on energy facilities. Go figure.
Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take pictures, but we did manage to sneak one before the show started. Gower Street Church was a great venue for the event.
Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take pictures, but we did manage to sneak one before the show started. Gower Street Church was a great venue for the event.
Then on Sunday, we went to the Downtown Christmas Parade, which turned out to be Luke's first Christmas Parade ever! It didn't disappoint with the all of the floats, people in random costumes, marching cadets, dancers, cheerleaders, every breed of dog imaginable, and Santa Claus himself taking up the rear! Luke was particularly impressed with the fact that Santa flies over the downtown area in a helicopter before his appearance in the parade (on his way from the North Pole, of course).
We originally had it in our heads that we wanted to take a picture so it looked like Santa was photobombing a selfie of us, but it kind of failed.
We originally had it in our heads that we wanted to take a picture so it looked like Santa was photobombing a selfie of us, but it kind of failed.
Attempt #5
The photombombing idea was inspired by a picture we took last December while attending the Christmas Market at Bowood House, where Camilla Parker Bowles decided to photobomb this beautiful picture of Luke drinking a coffee.
Well, maybe it wasn't a true photobomb... Anyway, here are a few pictures that we took during the parade!
