After living through a devastating flood in 2022 and rampant wildfires in 2023, many people in Hay River are 鈥渇earful鈥� about the future, according to Elizabeth Nimegeers.
鈥淢e personally, in terms of mental health, there鈥檚 PTSD, anxiety 鈥� and these aren鈥檛 things that solely I鈥檓 facing,鈥� said Nimegeers, who works as a program coordinator at the town鈥檚 Soaring Eagle Friendship Centre. 鈥淚 see it in the job I work and in the community as a whole. It鈥檚 an alarming factor of climate change. It鈥檚 affecting all of our lives. People are fearful that this spring there might be another [flood] or next spring. We鈥檙e just really hoping this isn鈥檛 a continuous thing here in Hay River because we have suffered some great losses here.鈥�
She鈥檚 hopeful that this year鈥檚 Earth Day celebration at the friendship centre will provide a break from that stress, and help educate people about the importance of protecting the environment in the process.
The April 22 event, which was organized in collaboration with Arctic Energy Alliance, will include two film screenings. First up, at 4 p.m., younger attendees will be invited to watch The Lorax, an animated movie based on the popular children鈥檚鈥� book by Dr. Seuss. Then, at 7 p.m., adults will have the chance to watch Fuel, a 2008 documentary about the world鈥檚 reliance on oil.
Both films will be free to watch, and there will be complimentary snacks and drinks on hand. There will also be door prizes.
鈥淚鈥檇 say about three weeks ago we started planning for this event,鈥� Nimegeers said. 鈥淲e are trying to cater to the entirety of the community with two separate movies playing. Arctic Energy Alliance and myself, we have been contacting other businesses and organizations. All the schools have been notified too, so we鈥檙e hoping for a good turnout.鈥�
People in Hay River need no reminder about the dangerous effects of climate change, but Nimegeers hopes the Earth Day fun at Soaring Eagle Friendship Centre will help people appreciate the importance of protecting the planet, even as it changes.
鈥淚 hope they leave knowing that Earth Day is a prominent day, and recognizing the steps we should be taking collectively to make the changes we want to see in the world for our children鈥� and for humanity as a whole,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 grew up in the North, and I am Indigenous, so for me, Mother Earth provides for us. It houses us and feeds us, and if we can鈥檛 take care of Mother Earth, Mother Earth can鈥檛 take care of us. That鈥檚 something I鈥檝e always prided myself on is trying to be caring in terms of our environment and the land we live on.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 definitely important that we take Earth Day and every day seriously in terms of protecting the Earth,鈥� she added. 鈥淚 hope others feel the same way and continue to feel that way.鈥�
Last year鈥檚 Earth Day event in Hay River featured a screening of the film 2040, a documentary about some of the innovative solutions to climate change being developed around the world.
