On the same day that Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre came to Whitehorse to rally against carbon taxes, the city’s youth took to the steps of the Yukon Legislative Assembly building Friday to protest for stricter policies to combat climate change.

“Climate change is a threat that is going to harm everyone, and it is going to have dire impact on everyone’s way of life and everyone’s well-being,” said 17-year-old Ella Bradford.

“We want to take it seriously so that we don’t have to be scared for our future.”

The protests are part of the ongoing global climate strike in which youth skip school to rally against inaction on climate change.

About 40 people turned out for the protest, including students, activists and local politicians.

“We are out here today to protest for climate action,” said organizer Keegan Newnham-Boyd, also 17. “We want the Yukon government to take climate change seriously.”

Sophie Molgat, another 17-year-old event organizer, said the group was also out to draw attention to the work of the Yukon First Nation Climate Action Fellowship.

The fellowship is a youth-led First Nation advocacy organization integrating Indigenous ways of thinking and being into their philosophy of a “reconnection vision” to combat the effects of climate change and advocate 
for action.

Criticizing the Yukon government, Molgat said it had created goals, but those goals are still not being implemented.

“All of that has been created to be put into action, and it is not being put into action,” 
Molgat said.

Several members of the legislature were in attendance at the climate strike, including NDP Leader Kate White and Liberal ministers John Streicker, Richard Mostyn and Nils Clarke.

“There’s a lot of work happening and more work to do,” Streicker said about tackling climate change.

Asked what he thought about the climate strike happening on the same day Poilievre rallied against the carbon tax, Streicker said it was good to see the youth putting out a contrasting message.

He said he does believe putting a price tag on carbon emissions can be an effective way to combat climate change.

“That’s why I’m happy the youth are holding a rally on the same day,” he said.