Climate Motivators Call for Leadership, Communities Across the Country Respond

Now in its fourth year, the Climate Motivator program is a United Church climate initiative for youth and young adults, designed and carried out in partnership with The Go Project. It nurtures hope-filled, adaptive, and effective young leaders responding to the climate crisis in collaboration with their host communities of faith, fostering multi-generational engagement that inspires local climate action and strengthens community climate efforts.

In the last week of May, 18 Climate Motivators and their Climate Motivator Coordinators explored themes of faith, advocacy, and climate leadership in Ottawa. The week began with a reflective, renewing time in Creation led in Gatineau Park by eco-theologian and Climate Chaplain Rev. Dr. Jessica Hetherington.

The Motivators gather in Gatineau Park with Rev. Dr. Jessica Hetherington

Credit: The United Church of Canada

A week of group meetings followed with members of Parliament Leah Gazan, Elizabeth May, Shannon Miedema, and Robert Oliphant, as well as Senator Tony Ince (Parliamentarians from other parties were invited but did not respond to the invitation). The visits to Parliament culminated in several meet-and-greets with the Motivators’ own MPs ahead of Thursday’s Question Period. 

On Thursday, May 28 Climate Motivators delivered a signed “Call for Climate Leadership” to the office of Prime Minister Mark Carney, calling for leadership that “seeks balance, repairs relationships, and lives with respect in creation today and for seven generations to come.” It calls specifically for the Prime Minister to:

•  Listen to the experience and solutions of those most affected by climate change
•  Reduce greenhouse gas emissions through legislation
•  Uphold the rights, knowledge, sovereignty, and leadership of Indigenous Peoples
•  Increase climate finance grants for communities facing climate devastation in the Global South
•  Invest in renewable energy, not fossil fuels, and support communities in just transition
•  Uphold environmental protections and human rights

Climate Motivators delivering signed letter to the Prime Minister's Office holding the six key calls for leadership

Credit: The United Church of Canada

Motivators returned to their home communities, where they are each working on unique projects with their community of faith.  Each project addresses one or more the United Church’s Climate Pillars: Getting Our House in Order, Raising our Spirited Voices, Connecting with the Earth, or Responding to Climate Impact.  Buoyed with encouragement from their experience on the Hill, Climate Motivators are also promoting the “Call for Climate Leadership” letter initially launched during Earth Week, and bringing additional local action and issues to the fore. 

The motivators and their host churches include: 

• Nora Snider (Whitehorse United Church)
• Nathaniel Hedges (The United Church in Meadowood)
• Keiara LeClair (Little Current and Espanola United Churches)
• Sophia Mathur and Kaleo Duncanson Hales (St. Peter and St. Mark’s United Church, Sudbury)
• Dong Young (Lucas) Shin (Saint Luke’s United Church, Cambridge)
• Esther Hope Pridmore and Owen Hyde (Dublin Street United Church, Guelph)
• Nghi Nguyen (Bloor Street United Church, Toronto)
• Amber Culley (Forest Hill United Church, Kitchener)
• Kaitlyn Van Ravenstein (Trillium United Church, Cambridge)
• Kimberlie Hood and David Richards (Trinity-St. Andrew’s United Church, Brighton)
• Nichelle Muhangi (Uganda Martyrs United Church, North York)
• Primrose Watson-Leung and Bronwyn Eastwood (Norval United Church, Georgetown)
• Matteo Imbeault (Sackville United Church, Sackville)
• Hailey-Jane Corey (St. Paul’s United Church, Riverview)

The majority of Canadians are concerned about climate change, and yet only 16 percent of us think our neighbour is too. This is a false perception gap. We need to hear from each other, and our elected leaders need to hear from us that we want a just, renewable-energy-fueled future founded in upholding Indigenous rights, human rights, and environmental protection. 

To join the Climate Motivators in this action, see the downloads below. You can also add a photo and message to the online Dear Member of Parliament padlet, where people from coast to coast to coast are adding their voices for climate leadership. Host churches will invite signatures on or near Sunday, June 28, 2026. 

We are in a climate emergency. Mother Earth is hurting. We need leadership. You can follow the Climate Motivators on Instagram at @climate.motivators and on Facebook with #ClimateMotivators2026 and #UCCan.