Photos 1, 2, 3 and 4: The Green March was held this morning November 8, 2010, from 10:00 to 12:00, Ville-Marie, Témiscamingue. This solidarity march was organized in just one month by the Mobilization Committee Témiscamingue.
The Green March
First, we must know a little background. The name of my region, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, I do not teach you anything there ... Population: 145,000 inhabitants. Space: A boundless land of 65 143 km / 2, the size of a country. In contrast, Lebanon is 10,452, Rwanda 26,338, Belgium 30,528, 41 290 Switzerland, Costa Rica 51 500, Sri Lanka 65 610, Ireland 70 280 and so on. To go faster, I often say that my area is nearly large as Ireland.
In Abitibi, the base of the economy are the mining, forestry, agriculture. When the forestry crisis shakes throughout Quebec and the difficulties in agriculture becoming unviable for small producers, Abitibi can rely on mining for survival. And that is what is happening now.
For Témiscamingue, the situation is quite different. With a population of 16,000 inhabitants (the total of 145 000 mentioned above) distributed in small towns and villages, their economy has always been based on exploitation of the forest and then agriculture. It everything. They can not count on any other industry that these two pillars of their economy. This is the summary portrait of reality Témiscamingue.
The Green March was held this morning in Ville-Marie, Témiscamingue. It aimed to mobilize the population to sound the alarm to the rest of Quebec, to be heard by decision makers at all levels of government, so that finally led to some projects that laws soften and modulate taking into account the peculiarities and realities faced by Témiscamingue.
To be honest, it was explained the appellation from "The Green March" to make a nod to "The Blue Walk" held in Quebec to promote the idea that a hockey team come to settle there. The challenges are different but they are even more important when the survival of a region depends on it.
Today, I was there, I would not have wanted to be elsewhere. We were between 3000 and 5000 people to march in the streets of Ville-Marie, to say that we exist, we will not be forgotten, we love living here and we are ready to put into action to work together, regardless of origin or political party to which it subscribes.
For a population of 16,000 inhabitants in Témiscamingue, when a human tide between 3000 and 5000 people marched in the street singing and dancing his pride, his courage, his will and his sense of belonging and solidarity , 30% of the population that cares and believes that with the energy ... I would say desperation, but it was more hopeful. A vast and infinite hopes that the region, as deep as Lake Temiskaming Algonquin name in French means "deep water". Imagine if the temperature was mild!
Ville-Marie, at home, it usually 90 minutes drive. This morning it was quite two hours because of heavy fog. But we have passed the test, nothing can stop us, Timiskaming not request it, take charge, roll up their sleeves and move forward with pride, courage, solidarity and dignity. We will not wait for a miracle or forestry crisis unlikely in the agri-food sector to respond.
This morning, for the Green March, between 10 am and noon, they came from everywhere, but especially all the villages of Témiscamingue, Abitibi a little too but not as much as I would have liked .. . Témiscamingue, the appeal was heard, almost 400 companies were closed for the cause unifying, schools also, shops, services and converged all Témiscamingue this rally was heartening to live, see and hear.
There were long since I had not seen such an example of solidarity. Call me an idealist if you want but I firmly believe that it is the people who change things, not elected. And the people, this morning he was there, despite the cold and humidity, zero visibility and slippery conditions.
I saw old people, some with canes, others in wheelchairs, young in strollers, others on the shoulders of their parents, very beautiful women, her cheeks rosy from the cold, some pregnant, men proud of strong men, dressed in work, we knew where they would go after, children who had drawn signs touching (photo 3) workers who lost their jobs with placards of their company closed, farmers with colored coats of "production milk, adolescents who were standing by the hand, which is not let loose, dancing more than they walked, others who advanced by beating the market with their tam-tam, and the most moving moment for me was to hear the crowd sing so loud as if the chorus of Mario Peluso, "I'm going back to, until ... Témiscamingue, when we arrived at the top of the hill, I looked back and saw this sea of people that stretched tightly woven to the majestic Lake Temiskaming, which was lost in the fog.
These are people who change things, not elected.
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