There are always two types of people: those who can’t wait for the first snowflakes and those who are counting the days until the next hot spring day!
But whether or not you’re in love with winter, you can understand its importance and, above all, its fragility in the current context. Communities and entire ecosystems depend on this natural annual cycle to function and survive. The increasing impacts of climate change are changing the strength and length of our winters and jeopardizing a balance that we took for granted. Fortunately, POW Canada has made it its mission to protect our winters by using the strength of the community to initiate major changes in our society.
Photo: John Mesner
Protect Our Winters
The nonprofit organization, which began in 2007 in the U.S. and then in 2018 in Canada, aims to bring together outdoor fans, athletes, and brands around an issue they care about: protecting our winters. By creating a community and mass effect, the organization hopes to initiate policy and regulatory changes surrounding climate change management. Their motto? Progress over perfection.
POW Canada is speaking directly to us, as nature lovers, by offering us the opportunity to participate in concrete actions to save our biggest and best playgrounds. As they so aptly put it, our love of adventure in nature demands our participation in the fight to save and protect it. By getting involved with them, it’s much easier than you think to be part of strong and meaningful movements.
Photo: BLong
Creating a sustainable economy
It’s always important for each individual to take action on a daily basis to reduce their environmental footprint and their impact on climate change. However, it’s important to understand that the foundations of our economy and our systems must radically change to ensure the survival of our winters.
Right now, our societies depend on fossil fuels (such as oil and coal) to function. These non-renewable energies emit countless tons of carbon into the atmosphere, accelerating climate change. However, by listening to science and rethinking our energy systems, it’s possible to reduce our emissions on a large scale and ultimately meet the goals set by the Paris Agreement.
Photo: BLong
POW Canada uses this principle to guide its policies and actions. According to them, we must first set a price on carbon, then stop financing fossil fuels by investing in renewable energies and rebuild our ecosystems to hope for real changes in the future and protect our winters. Of course, this kind of action must first take place at the political level and that’s why strength in numbers makes all the difference here.
Actions and campaigns
POW Canada works extremely hard to educate and inspire the outdoor community to become advocates for the wellbeing of nature. Each year, the organization organizes different campaigns to spread the word about the issues they are advocating for and to gain public support for their actions.
In 2020, for example, POW Canada was able to take part in the fight against the construction of the Quebec GNL pipeline and win its battle. On the west coast of the country, the organization also contributed to stopping the log of ancestral trees to protect the biodiversity of the region and allow these forests to continue to store carbon. They also created a campaign to get people to vote for the environment in the last federal election.
With the support of citizens, partners, and ambassadors, POW Canada has become a key organization for the survival of winters in Canada. While the vast majority of industries, such as tourism and restaurants, have organized themselves for years to influence policy decisions that are important to them, POW Canada is now a collective voice for Canada’s huge outdoor community.
Taking part in the movement
If you’re like us and want to do your part to protect our winters, it’s super simple to get involved with POW Canada. The first (and most important) step is to become a member of the organization! It’s totally free and you can then agree to make monthly donations as you wish. This money will be used to fund research and to create and promote the campaigns.
As POW Canada’s goal is to create a social movement and put pressure on governmental authorities, every new member counts. With over 24,000 outdoor enthusiasts now committed to POW Canada’s mission, it’s much easier for our voice to be heard! By becoming a member, you support the organization’s actions and campaigns and give them more power to lobby on crucial issues.
If you’re interested in direct, on-the-ground involvement, it’s also possible to volunteer with the various regional chapters across Canada. Whether it’s to participate in campaigns, recruit new members, or raise funds, your time and efforts will certainly make a huge difference for the organization.
We encourage our large community of vanlifers, but also our collaborators and partners, to get involved in POW Canada’s mission. While the climate crisis may seem unstoppable at times, it is organizations like this one that can make a huge difference in ensuring a gentler future. Let’s all make sure winter is here to stay.
Protect Our Winters Canada is our cause of the moment! We will be donating 1% of all our online sales from January to April 2022 to the organization to protect our winters.