I have put up several pages of information to help people get involved in the activist scene in Edmonton. Check out the main page to see a list of resources and information (it is a work in progress).
The idea of the Activist Agenda is to be a central hub of information to help people access that information so that they can become involved. It is focused on activism and community in Edmonton and area.
Activism is a person that moves from becoming aware of some issue and acting on that information/awareness. We are all activists!
Why are some festivals and events listed here like the Filipino and African festivals? Because it is about diversity, inclusion, and building cross-ethnic communities.

This is an American list but many of the days transfer to Canada. From earthlyeducation

🐠 World Reef Awareness Day – June 1
🌊 National Oceans Month – June (US)
🐝 National Pollinators Month – June (US)
🏞️ National Rivers Month – June (US)
🌹 National Rose Month – June (US)
💚 National Prairie Day – June 3 (US)
🪴 National Garden Week – June 4-10 (US)
🌊 National Week of the Ocean – June 4-10
🐟 International Day for the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing – June 5
🌏 World Environment Day – June 5
💚 World Green Roof Day – June 6
Clean Air Day (Canada) – June 7 (Hah! It turned out that this day was:

• Worst air quality we’ve ever seen
• Outdoor sports cancelled
• Kids kept inside at school
• Air quality index 10+, High Risk Level

🌊 World Oceans Day – June 8
💧 Oxfam Water Week – June 11-17 (UK)
💨 Global Wind Day – June 15
📸 Nature Photography Day – June 15 (US)
🏜️ World Day to combat desertification and drought – June 17
💚 National Grasslands Week – June 18-24 (US)
🐶 Animal Rights Awareness Week – June 19-25 (US)
🐞 Insect Week – June 19-25 (UK)
🐝 National Pollinator Week – June 19-25 (US)
🦒 World Giraffe Day – June 21 (US)
🌳 World Rainforest Day – June 22 (US)

June 2023 is Bike Month in Edmonton – Bike Edmonton is hosting several events throughout the city. The City of Edmonton also has a list of events on their webpage.

• June 1-30: In celebration of Bike Month, the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues is hosting a friendly competition between community leagues. They will record the number of kilometres each community member cycles and there are rewards. Find out how to register at their website.
• June 4: Ashley Salvador | Bike Highlands
• June 7: Keren Tang | Bike Mill Woods
• June 7: Free Bike Tune Up from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m Location: Servus Credit Union Place 400 Campbell Road St. Albert Reserve a spot at this Eventbrite site.
• June 11: Vixens Trailblazers    
• June 17: #arthuntyeg Slavo Cech Clue drop 10am
• June 17: Saturday World Naked Bike Ride – Edmonton – see below for more details
• June 17-18: Edmonton BMX | Edmonton Provincial 1 & 2
• June 23-26: Canadian Road Cycling Championships
• June 25: Do North Events | Edmonton Urban Fondo

June is Pride Month in Edmonton. It seems that there is still problems facing Pride Edmonton and there won’t be a parade this year. There is going to be a festival on August 18-26th – see Edmonton Pride Festival. That being said there are going to be some events throughout the month. See below.

June 4th, Sunday AFRICANIVAL starting at 10 am – “An outdoor festival that highlights the beauty and uniqueness of Africa.  FREE ENTRY to all. Enjoy the party with an exciting Kids Corner, Film Tent, fantastic cultural performances, magnificent fashion designs at the Fashion Village, Gospel Hour, delicious cultural dishes, fantastic Arts Tent, a busy African Market, and a relaxing Beer Garden.” They will be back on Sunday as well.
I hope that they incorporate some activism in their event – like the EACOP, Sudan, the famine in the Horn of Africa, the exploitation of fossil fuel companies in Nigeria, Uganda, South Africa, and other countries, the mining in the Congo, etc.
Location: Sir Winston Churchill Square9918 102 Ave NW
Tickets: Free
Website: http://africanival.org/

June 4th, Sunday PRIDE Block Party (it is in part being sponsored by a bank that funds the fossil fuel industry so I am not going to list them on this posting). Fruit Loop is excited to be kicking off Edmonton’s Pride month and bring you some incredible 2SLGBTQ+ programming this June in support of our friends at Rainbow Refuge!!!
See their website for all the events throughout the day.

June 5th, Monday Alpha Girlz from 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM – “This program gives girls a safe space to meet, form meaningful connections, and participate in their favourite activities. Some activities include yoga, discussion sessions, crafts, games, and so much more! Snacks are also provided at each session. Alpha Girlz takes place every Monday and Wednesday.”
Location: Abbottsfield Recreation Centre (ARC) 3006 119 Avenue
Reservation: through this Eventbrite website

June 5th to June 26th UNIST’OT’EN SPRING WORK CAMP 2023 – Support the directly by joining their Spring Work Camp. See the following from their website:
Spring is Beautiful on the Yintah! The Unist’ot’en clan invite hard-working souls to join them from June 5th to 26th for the annual Spring Work Camp!
Come for a minimum of 1 week, and help build new infrastructure for the healing programs! This year we’re working on the new solar array which will be powering the entire camp by winter, and if we get the right people, we’ll be finishing a major greenhouse project that will allow the Unist’ot’en to grow plants throughout the harsh northern winters. The Unist’ot’en Healing Centre has been operating at a steady pace with regular and essential programming for Wet’suwet’en people seeking healing from substance abuse and the effects of colonization. 
Builders, cooks, dishwashers, chainsaw operators, skilled trades folk and others just willing to get their hands dirty and work in solidarity with the Unist’ot’en on their sovereign territory are welcome.  Not sure if you have the right skill set? You might be surprised!  
Enjoy three hearty meals a day, make new friends, camp under the stars or in the cozy bunkhouse, embrace the feeling of a job well done, drink straight from the Wedzin Kwa, and jump in her cold flowing water to escape the midday heat. Resist the ongoing incursion of CGL and industry by keeping the Healing Centre going and giving the Unist’ot’en some support.
Before applying to come to camp, the Unist’ot’en ask you to read the preparing for your visit page on their website and pay particular attention to the consent guidelines and guidelines for behaviour. Behaviour going against the guidelines will not be tolerated. 
After reading the above page we welcome you to register here!” 

June 7th, Wednesday Alpha Girlz from 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM- “This program gives girls a safe space to meet, form meaningful connections, and participate in their favourite activities. Some activities include yoga, discussion sessions, crafts, games, and so much more! Snacks are also provided at each session. Alpha Girlz takes place every Monday and Wednesday.”
Location: Abbottsfield Recreation Centre (ARC) 3006 119 Avenue
Reservation: through this Eventbrite website

June 9th, Friday – Plant and Pull Volunteering – This is a regular Friday event. See the website for dates, times, and locations (it moves around the city).
Invasive species are the second biggest threat to biodiversity after habitat loss. Join hundreds of volunteers to help stop the spread of invasive plants in Edmonton and to preserve the biodiversity in our beautiful river valley. Join us for a safe, fun, and hands-on volunteer experience this summer with your families and friends.
Of course, what the city and the Alberta government decide on what are noxious weeds are not always in the best interest of nature since some of those decisions are based on protecting monocultures in our agriculture industry.

June 9th, Friday Movie Premiere – INSANITY – The Mental Health Crisis from 6:30 pm tp 9:30 pm: “This personal documentary is about how we treat people who are dealing with mental illness – it’s insane. Insanity is a plea to do better as a society – to treat those with a mental illness as human beings and provide appropriate services. An intimate story of the family’s perspective, told by director Wendy Hill-Tout, whose brother had schizophrenia and disappeared 25 years ago. It is also about a North American crisis for those with a mental illness as more and more end up in the streets and in jails.”
Location: Metro Cinema, 8712 109 Street Northwest Edmonton, AB T6G 1E9
Tickets: Through the Metro Cinema site or at the door. 16$

June 10th, Saturday Post-Election Townhall from noon to 2 pm – Monday’s election was a big disappointment for everyone who believes that we could have a better society, or that time is running out to take meaningful action on climate change, harm reduction, and economic transition.
This is an Emergency Town Hall to commiserate and conspire. We’ll be discussing our strategy for the upcoming provincial regime, how we can resist, and how we win a better future.
Location: Queen Alexandra Community League Hall (10425 University Ave
Registration: Please register here, so that they have a sense of how many people are attending.

June 10th, Saturday, 18th Annual Mayor’s Pride Brunch – The Fyrefly Institute for Gender and Sexual Diversity at the University of Alberta is organizing its 18th Annual Mayor’s Pride Brunch! Each year, we coordinate the Mayor’s Pride Brunch to raise funds to support our 2SLGBTQ+ programs: Camp fYrefly, the AB GSA Conference, Fyrefly in Schools, Where the Rivers Meet, the Family Resilience Project, and CHEW Project YEG. These programs all share the primary goal of supporting 2SLGBTQ+ youth so that they can grow into healthy, happy, and resilient adults. Proceeds from the Brunch will ensure that we can continue doing what we love: supporting 2SLGBTQ+ folks so that we can create a future where they thrive and are free from discrimination!
The brunch will be MC’d by Mike Chalut, will include remarks by our Executive Director, Dr. Glynnis Lieb, UAlberta’s President Bill Flanagan, an appearance by Edmonton’s Mayor, the Honorable Amarjeet Sohi, and an extravagant drag performance by our talented CHEW Youth: Etherea, Gurlquisha, and Desire Devine. There will also be music by Girls Club DJ, Bev! Engage in community connection and enjoy some delicious brunch goodies!
Location:  Hall C in the Edmonton Convention Centre 9797 Jasper Ave, Edmonton, AB T5J 1N9
Tickets: Available at this Eventbrite page. From19.96$

June 10th, Saturday King Edward Park Reuse Fair from 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM: The event runs rain or shine. Bring in your extra art and craft supplies, and your recyclables to use to augment artisans and daycare and school programs. Includes a book exchange. The list of acceptable items is on our website Kingedwardpark.org (It doesn’t look like the list is up on their site yet – or I could not find it yet).
Location: 7708 85 Street Northwest Edmonton, AB T6C 4K9

June 12th, Monday Sustainability Social & Repair Cafe from 5 pm to 8:30 pm – Waste Free Edmonton is putting on a great evening for you.
You can learn more about the evening, register, and get tickets (27.96$) at this Eventbrite page.

June 13th, Tuesday Surviving the Canadian Dream launch from 5:00-6:00 pm – Migrante Alberta and Alberta Workers’ Association for Research and Education (AWARE) will be launching an art exhibition at the McMullen Gallery situated in the University of Alberta Hospital.
Location: McMullen Gallery situated in the University of Alberta Hospital
Facebook: You can visit their Facebook page for more information.

June 15th, Thursday Honouring Indigenous Climate Leadership from 11:00 am – “A roundtable discussion showcasing Indigenous-led research and policy responding to climate change.”
Location: Virtual
Register: at the Canadian Climate Institute website

June 15th Thursday National Organizing Call at 5 pm – “Canada is burning with climate-driven wildfires sweeping the country — even the nation’s capital where our political leaders sit is shrouded with smoke. But the Trudeau government is still fuelling the climate crisis. It’s time we reminded them what’s at stake. Let’s bring the intensity of the climate crisis to their doorstep.” Organized by 350.org – one of North America’s largest and most effective climate champions.
Location: Virtual – Zoom meeting
Registration: at the 350.org site

June 17th, Saturday Edmonton Drag Fest from 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM “Edmonton Drag Festival is about celebrating the art of drag performance and providing a platform for drag artists to showcase their talents.
Edmonton Drag Fest offers an opportunity for members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and allies to come together and celebrate diversity and inclusion.”
Location: Louise McKinney Riverfront Park, 9999 Grierson Hill Northwest. Wheelchair accessible
Tickets: 36.46$ through this Eventbrite page

June 17th, Saturday Edmonton Filipino Fiesta 2023 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. – “The event features the best of Philippine culture – a weekend of entertainment, arts, crafts, and food!
Filipino Fiestas are meant to be celebrated with lots of family and friends so we look forward to sharing with everyone the culture and traditions of the Philippines!” They will repeat their fiesta on Sunday fro Sunday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: Borden Park, 7507 Borden Park Rd NW
Tickets: Free

June 17th, Saturday World Naked Bike Ride – Edmonton meet at noon and departure at 1 pm – “A clothing-optional bike ride to promote environmental awareness, safe and sustainable transport, and body positivity.” Also, the event highlights the vulnerability of cyclists to drivers of motor vehicles. Riders must be 18+ to participate
Location: Light Horse Park – Calgary Trail (104th street) and 85th Avenue
Register: More information and ‘register’ at their Facebook Page

June 19th, Monday Vigil for Regan Russell – Join us for this all-day Vigil for Regan Russell and the animals that are being murdered inside Lilydale. There will be a food giveaway, outreach, and music and we will be handing out flyers to workers as well. Come and pay your respects.
Event Page: Facebook
Location: 7727 127th avenue

June 19th and 20th, A Well-Being Economy for Alberta: Healthy People, Healthy Planet (Virtual event) – “Albertans’ health and well-being are fundamentally shaped by the conditions in which we are born, grow, live, work, and age, and how fairly those conditions are distributed and experienced. This includes the quality and integrity of our natural environments. 
Our current economic system does not support healthy people and a healthy planet. Neoliberal capitalism prioritizes relentless growth and private profit to benefit the few to the detriment of the many. It does so in large part by driving policies that justify cuts to public services such as high-quality education, health care, and transit; and subsidies for activities that destroy our ecosystems upon which all life depends.  Inequalities in wealth and power are a feature of this system, not a bug; unequal health outcomes are a byproduct that in turn reproduces political, social, and financial disparities.
We need an alternative. A well-being economy re-imagines the purpose of our economy and society to place quality of life for everyone and the sustainability of our planet at the centre. It invites us to expand our imaginations of what is possible. It brings together different sectors, disciplines, and perspectives to offer a bold, coherent vision for the type of society we wish to have. 
This virtual conference will provide a forum for mobilization and implementation (‘nuts and bolts’) of a well-being economy. While focusing on Alberta’s unique context, we hope to generate enthusiasm and practical models for imagining an economy that works for everyone – everywhere.
Location: Virtual
Register: (Free) Register now for A  Well-Being Economy for Alberta: Healthy People, Healthy Planet.

June 24th, Saturday Will Tech Save Us? An Evening with Paris Marx from 6 pm to 9 pm – “A live conversation and Q&A with author and critical commentator Paris Marx.
Paris has written about cities, technology, and climate change, and is a host of the wildly successful podcast, Tech Won’t Save Us.”
Location: TBD
Registration: Free at Michael Janz’s website

June 24th, Saturday – VegFest Edmonton from 11 am-7 pm, Borden Park
VegFest Edmonton is excited to finally bring back your favorite all-plant-based and family-friendly event to Edmonton!
You can look forward to mouth-watering plant-based food, dazzling merch, environmentally friendly vendors, our beloved vegan DJ Johnny Infamous, a Beer Garden, Veggie Kid Zone and so much more at this year’s new location!
 And you betcha… as it’s in a public park, this year’s event is dog friendly! 
They are looking for volunteers to help out with the events so if you are able to help sign up for a volunteer shift.
You are likely going to eat something when you are there – it is all about food. Please consider taking your own plate/container, utensils, water bottle, and mug. Being vegan/plant-based is one of the best things you can do for the planet but reducing your waste stream is also a good goal.

June 24th, Saturday PRIDE – All Ages Drag Show from 5:00 PM – 9:30 PM – This is a fundraiser for DYS and Cinderella’s Drag Closet.
Location: Held at the Unitarian Church of Edmonton 10804-119st (side blue doors)
Tickets: at Eventbrite

July 8th, Saturday What’s Next: Post-Election Community Summit from 10:00 am to 5 pm – Public Interest Alberta is putting on this event. “Whether you were working on a local election, put your name forward as a candidate or cast a ballot, I know it’s been an intense election for everyone. Thank you for everything you did over the past weeks and months to make sure the public interest was on the radar in the election.
It’s clear this is not the outcome many of us were hoping for. Yet again, we’re facing a government whose regressive agenda of cuts, privatization, and chaos has made our lives worse.”
So, what’s next? What do we do now? 
Location: McDougall United Church, 10086 MacDonald Drive NW
Register: at this Public Interest Alberta website

Information and Suggestions

If you are interested in municipal politics then I suggest checking out the “Speaking Municipally” podcast made by Mack Male and Troy Pavlek. They really keep an eye on our city council. Mack Male is also part of the team that produces Taproot which is a great source for what is happening municipally.

Please share information with me so that I can populate this with more details and information. I intend to eventually get it so that it is emailed out to people and have a better site but for now, this is what I have to offer you.

Edmonton Tool Library – a great resource for sharing tools and resources within our community. Check them out.

Investing in Solar?
Solar Power Investment Cooperative of Edmonton (SPICE) makes this easy at the grassroots and organic levels. Check out how you can invest in solar installations. Solar is a climate solution and when combined with demand-side management can have a significant impact.

Petitions/Letter writing – petitions can be an effective way to raise awareness of an issue and sometimes they even work. Here is a list of present ongoing petitions in Canada that I wish to highlight:

• 8 coal mining projects threaten the Rocky Mountains. If approved, open-pit mining will contaminate the source of water for millions of people across the Prairies. Click here to send a ltter.
• Stop Canada’s Federal Ag Gag Bill – There’s a dangerous agricultural gag bill (also known as “ag gag”) in Parliament that could jail undercover investigators and other animal advocates who expose animal cruelty behind the closed doors of farms.
• Let’s Get Indigenous Communities Safe, Clean Drinking Water Now. FFS.
• Designate Rapid Support Forces (Janjaweed) in Sudan as a Terrorist Organization – you might remember the documentary “The Devil Came on Horseback” (this is only a short video but you can see more on the internet. Last week I stood with a group of Sudanese calling for an end to the conflict in Darfur.
• Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty – Federal petition open until July 14th, 2023
• Ban on advertising – a comprehensive ban on advertising, sponsorship, and promotion of fossil fuel companies, products, and services (including gasoline, gas utilities, and internal combustion engine vehicles) to protect public health – Federal petition (e-4469). Open until September 28th, 2023
• End all fossil fuel subsidies – Federal petition open until July 27th, 2023
• stop open-pit gold mining in Nova Scotia and across Canada – Federal petition open until August 3rd, 2023
• Drug use and Harm Reduction – Federal Petition open until July 14th, 2023
• Nuclear weapons and disarmanent – Federal Petition open until June 14th, 2023
• Old Growth – Federal Petition open until June 27th, 2023
• Tell These Airlines to Stop Shipping Endangered Monkeys to Their Deaths
• Make Mental Health Accessible To All Candian’s Through Our Universal Health Care System
• Call Upon John Horgan to Check Every Indian Residential School in British Columbia – I think this should be a Federal petition since this jurisdiction falls under their mandate but it is a good start.
• No raises for public servants until minimum wage is a living wage! – every segment of a workforce will tend to stand up for what they will benefit from taking action. We need a living wage/universal basic income right across our country.
• STOP BIG OIL FROM POLLUTING OUR CLIMATE –
• Tax Big Oil to Fund a Just Transition – Canada’s oil and gas sector tripled its profits in 2022. Our governments give Big Oil subsidies and allow them to make trillions of dollars in profit while they drive the climate crisis.
• WORKERS NEED A FAIR DEAL AS THEY BUILD OUR SUSTAINABLE FUTURE – TELL THE GOVERNMENT NOW
• Sink the fossil fuel industry’s plan!
• Email Trans Mountain’s insurers: Drop the pipeline now!
• Reject forest biomass as a false climate solution
• Stop toxic tailings pollution
• Stop Executions of Activist in Iran
• RESPECT INDIGENOUS RIGHTS ON WET’SUWET’EN TERRITORY

Volunteering

VegFest 2023 – VOLUNTEERS STILL NEEDED for VegFest 2023 on June 24th!
If you are able to help out on Saturday, June 24th, anywhere from 11am – 7pm, please sign up at this link.
We need our community to come together and help us pull this off! There are some very dedicated people working their butts off, so let’s help them out by picking up a shift. Let’s come together and show the City of Edmonton just how awesome our Vegan Community really is!

Please send things that should be on this list to michael.kalmanovitch@gmail.com

Disclaimer – the Activist Agenda tries to ensure that the information contained within it is accurate but mistakes do happen. Please double-check events and information that are relevant to you to make sure you have the correct date, time, location, and any other relevant information.

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