Although it’s still a day away, local organizations were busy celebrating Earth Day on Saturday.
The Thunder Bay Country Market had more than a dozen community groups on hand along with the market’s 70 vendors to celebrate the 42nd annual day. Market communications officer Raili Roy said it’s about showing people that they can do more for the environment.
“A lot of people like to focus on doing less things, using less electricity, using less gas, we like to focus on doing more like plant more trees, put more things in your garden, pay more attention to what the bees are doing, ride your bicycle more,” Roy said.
Sarah Eby said she celebrates every Earth Day at the market. While she grabbed coffee and chatted with friends like any other Saturday at the market, Earth Day at the market is about celebrating the environment and finding out ways to respect it.
“It’s more of an experience and about the community,” she said. “We all live on the same planet and it’s really important to respect it.”
From Thunder Bay’s active transportation committee to the local horticultural society, Roy said the community partners at the market have plenty of ways for people to go green.
“In our day to day lives it’s really easy to forget and to lose focus on the big picture on what’s going on in the world,” she said. “
Over on Algoma Street, the city’s only eco-general store was busy celebrating Earth Day and a new location. The Green House and non-profit True North Community Co-operative moved into 198 Alogma Street South a couple of months ago. As well as local food, the six-day-a-week shop has environmental products for sustainable living. The Green House’s Joseph LeBlanc said every day is Earth Day for him but marking it each year is important.
”It’s really a time to celebrate what we’ve accomplished and the community,” he said. “It’s about recognizing our role on this Earth.”
The shop had activities like guerrilla gardening for kids and local food producers were on hand so the co-operatives 450 members could meet them.
“People can shake the hand of the people that grow the food for them,” LeBlanc said.
