Our Power, Our Planet: Manitoba Must Move from Awareness to Action

It’s springtime in Winnipeg—and yet, the snow still falls.

That contradiction is more than an inconvenience. It is a warning.

On April 22, people around the world will mark Earth Day. But in Manitoba, this cannot be just another symbolic moment. It must be a turning point.

This year’s theme—Our Power, Our Planet—is not a slogan. It is a challenge. We already have the knowledge, the tools, and the community capacity to address environmental decline. What we lack is not awareness—it is urgency, consistency, and collective accountability.

Let’s be clear: you don’t need to be a scientist to understand what’s happening. The way we live—burning fuel for energy, cutting down too many trees, and creating too much waste—is heating up the planet. That extra heat is changing our weather, harming animals and plants, and putting the natural systems we rely on at risk.

As an educator, I see clearly where real change begins: not in policy documents alone, but in how we shape the next generation. Education does more than transfer knowledge; it forms values, habits, and a sense of responsibility. When students learn about the environment, they are not just studying ecosystems—they are learning what it means to lead.

And across Manitoba, that leadership is already emerging.

In the days leading up to Earth Day, community-driven initiatives are turning intention into action. At Garden City Shopping Centre, a partnership between Caring for our Environment (CEM) and Recycle Everywhere is bringing environmental awareness directly into a high-traffic community space—meeting people where they are and turning everyday moments into opportunities for action.

Families will engage with hands-on learning at Assiniboine Park during “Party for the Planet,” while FortWhyte Alive continues to immerse young people in wetlands, forests, and living ecosystems—where environmental stewardship becomes personal, not theoretical.

At Manitoba Museum, science and climate education come alive through interactive programming, and at The Forks, Earth Week initiatives demonstrate practical approaches to waste reduction and sustainable living.

These are not isolated events. They represent a broader truth: in Manitoba, environmental education is no longer confined to classrooms. It is embedded in our public spaces, our institutions, and our communities.

But here is the uncomfortable reality: participation is not the same as transformation.

Young people are already doing their part. They are organizing recycling drives, questioning consumption habits, and holding adults to account. They are not waiting for permission to care about the planet they will inherit.

The question is whether we are prepared to meet them with the same level of commitment.

Because awareness without action is complacency.

If Earth Day is to mean anything, it must show up in how we live:

• in reducing waste—not occasionally, but habitually

• in supporting recycling—not when convenient, but consistently

• in empowering student leadership—not symbolically, but structurally

• in making sustainability a default—not an afterthought

This is where Manitoba must be honest with itself. We are a province rich in natural resources and community spirit—yet our environmental habits often lag behind our values.

We can do better. And now, we must.

Because when spring no longer feels like spring, we are already living the consequences.

Earth Day is not a celebration of what we have done. It is a measure of what we are willing to do next.

From classrooms to shopping centres, from parks to policy tables, the path forward is already visible. The momentum is already building. What remains is the decision to act—individually and collectively.

Our power is real. Our planet is at stake.

The responsibility is ours.

This Earth Day, Manitoba must move beyond awareness—and choose action.

Ann Evangelista, Chair, Environmental Advisory Committee, Winnipeg School Division

CEM (Caring for our Environment-Manitoba)Information and Communication Head

Manitoba School Boards Association, Regional Director