This is the Greenpeace balloon that will hover above Regina.

This is *not* the balloon that will hover above Regina.

It has already been an exciting week here in Regina, and the Premiers’ meetings haven’t even started yet.

Some of Canada’s most prominent groups — environmental, social, human rights, women’s rights, and religious groups — have descended on the small Saskatchewan city for the annual meeting of provincial and territorial leaders, to bring a clear, unified message: the time for strong action on climate change is now. With the all-important UN meeting coming up in December in Copenhagen, we need our policiticians — provincially and federally — to step it up and make Canada a leader on climate change, rather than the embarrassing laggard we have been.

While the Premiers meet to discuss climate, energy and trade issues, they will be dogged by representatives from the Climate Action Network, which includes such groups as Greenpeace, Sierra Club Prairie Chapter, Oxfam, Council of Canadians, Indigenous Environmental Network, Saskatchewan Environmental Society, Kyotoplus and Equiterre, among many others.

What’s being billed as the “Climate Showdown in Regina” has taken the city by storm, occupying front pages and editorials, television and airwaves, and even city corners.

Today, a group of 26 American post-secondary student activists, called the GOT students, or Greenpeace Organizing Term, took to the streets dressed as the worst of the climate villains: Premiers Stelmach and Wall and Prime Minister Harper. Donning jailbird gear, signs that bore their respective names and the words “climate criminal” and masks that resembled each, the groups of three huddled on corners across the city centre. It was quite a sight. They paid particular attention to the area around Victoria Park, across from the Hotel Saskatchewan where the Premiers are staying. The Harper mask was rather unnerving though. His grin said, “Where’s a kitten to cuddle when you need one?” All it was missing was a sweater vest.

And that’s not all Greenpeace has up its sleeve. Tomorrow morning, as the Premiers rise and prepare for the first of two days of meetings, sipping their mocca-coco-lattes with extra whip, there will be a different kind of orb than usual on the horizon: the Greenpeace hot air balloon. Made to look like the earth with the message “Save the Climate” in larger than life letters, it has travelled many miles to be here. It will be tethered above the Regina Legislature on Thursday and Friday mornings (we can’t believe we got the permit either — “You know this is Greenpeace calling, and not Remax, right?” — but we did!) at 6 a.m. for a couple of hours.

So keep your eyes to the sky and your ears to the ground. We’re here for another two days, waiting and watching and ready to act. We just hope our leaders do the same.

Dispatches from the Council

Categories: Activism on the ground, Energy and Climate, Greenpeace, KYOTOplus, Tar Sands

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