- In the winter of 1984, then Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, took what became a famous walk in the snow during which he decided he would not not run for a fifth term in office.
Now in the fall of 2019 his son and current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took a walk in the woods as part of a hard fought campaign to win a second term for his Liberal government.
That walk on a damp morning today (Sunday) was in the Frink Conservation Area and Outdoor Education Centre on Thrasher Road in rural Belleville.
National and local media and about 75 supporters walked a trail to a clearing where Trudeau, his two children, local Liberal candidate Mike Bossio and some local kids planted six saplings.
The Prime Minister digs deep. (Photo: John Spitters/Quinte News)
Species were Silver Maple, Black Maple, White Pine (Ontario’s provincial tree), Bur Oak, Red Oak, and the national tree the Sugar Maple.
The planting was a prelude to the Prime Minister again touting his party’s plan to fight climate change. A big part of that plan is a pledge to plant two billion trees over a 10 year time span to remove harmful carbon from the atmosphere while adding life-giving oxygen.
“Our climate plan is the only one ever put forward by a Canadian government. We will encourage big polluters to lower their carbon emissions by cutting their corporate taxes by up to half if they invest successfully in green technology. We have a goal of net zero emissions by 2050. Homeowners and landlords will be eligible for up to $40,000 in interest free loans to retrofit homes and buildings to pollute less. We’re committing $3 billion in climate change initiatives over a decade.
On the other hand, the Conservatives have pledged to immediately rip any climate change program we have in place. The Conservatives want to cut services and have no climate change plan.”
A German national media network crew based out of New York City interview a participant at the Trudeau visit to the Frink Centre. (Photo: John Spitters/Quinte News)
His visit, on a day most of the other leaders are getting set for a major English language televised debate tomorrow, was seen as a boost for the Liberal candidate in Hastings-Lennox and Addington riding Mike Bossio who’s in a tight race described by polling website 338.com as a toss up.
Bossio is in a tight race against Conservative Derek Sloan. In 2015 Bossio won the seat but defeated Conservative Daryl Kramp by just 225 votes.
Prime Minister Trudeau touts his party’s climate change plan with local MP Mike Bossio on the left. (Photo: John Spitters/Quinte News)
