On September 27th, communities around the world will be mobilizing around climate action as part of the #fridaysforfuture Climate Strike Movement.

As outdoor enthusiasts we believe our love of adventure in nature demands our participation in the fight to save and protect it and we’re calling on all POW members to participate on September 27 (Global Strike).

Better yet, we have a challenge for you! You’ll need a poster to wave at the climate march right? And it’s always fun to get crafty with friends right? We’d like to encourage you to reach out to your local outdoor retailer to plan a Get Crafty for Climate party. It’s an opportunity for outdoor people in your community to come together to make posters and banners in preparation for the climate strikes. With minimal investment; some good markers, bristol board, tape etc., retailers can position themselves as a climate leader in your community and a gathering point for likeminded people. If you want to take it to the next level, reach out to your local brewery, restaurant or bakery and see if they’d be interested in partnering with you. It could be a really fun event and an opportunity to connect with people who share the similar values around climate!

Here’s what we’ll do to support you. Have your retailer email us by September 20 and we’ll send them a pack of POW stickers (for the signs and to give out) plus our Retailer Program Package; posters about POW’s mission, member sign-up sheets, stickers for their front door and counter. At the party, take some pictures and tag @protectourwinterscanada with #GetCraftyForClimate and we’ll enter you to win an amazing party at your local outdoor shop! Here’s what’s included:

• Free beer from our friends at Fat Tire
• Free pizza from our partners at Patagonia
• POW Canada swag giveaways
• Premier of Switchback Entertainment’s new film (to be released this fall) hosted remotely by POW Ambassador and Board Chair Mike Douglas (remotely hosted)

So…….get planning! Call, email or walk-in to your local outdoor retailer and explain the opportunity. We’re in the middle of a climate emergency and there’s no reason for individuals or businesses to stay on the sidelines – especially if they love the outdoors (besides this is the time of year when they really want people in their stores). We need all hands-on deck. It’s a massive challenge but do you never start a hike, run, ride, paddle or climb saying “I can’t do that”? Heck no!!!

The biggest mistake we can make is assuming someone else will do it. IF NOT YOU…..WHO?

[email protected]   or   1-833-POW-CANA

#GetCraftyForClimate Campaign Assets:

POW_GetCrafty_StorePoster

Students all over the world are walking out of class 

In August 2018, 16-year old Greta Thunberg began making headlines by striking in solidarity for climate policy action. By herself every Friday, she would protest   instead of going to school. Fast forward to today and over 3000 Climate Strike are taking place all over the world.

Canada's National Climate Strike is set to happen Friday, May 3rd

Students across Canada plan to join the movement this Friday with 197 Climate Marches taking place across the country!

Lucky for us, Fridays For Future Canada has a fantastic website that shows you where the marches are taking place near you! Check out the interactive map on their site and join your neighbours along with the rest of the world! It's time to stand up with our next generation - this planet is equally theirs as it is ours!

This will knock your socks off!

Our friends at Smartwool announced this week that they are coming on board and joining POW Canada as a Founding Partner. We are beyond excited to have them join and support the team.

Smartwool is an industry leading outdoor apparel brand and they are serious about sustainability. They pride themselves on pursuing perfection when it comes to using ethically sourced materials for their products. Learn more about their mission to achieve sustainable products and why it matters to them here.

Smartwool will be packing a heavy punch with their involvement with sports beyond skiing and snowboarding. This will help immensely with POW Canada's mission to expand beyond snowsports.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Smartwool Pledges to Protect Our Winters

Vancouver, BC and Steamboat Springs, CO – April 30th, 2019– Smartwool has pledged to support Protect Our Winters Canada (POW), a passionate community of enthusiasts, professional athletes and industry brands uniting the outdoor community to address climate change. According to POW, all other sectors of the Canadian economy have organized themselves in a way to hav

e influence over policy decisions which are important to their industry. The outdoor industry in Canada is massive, yet has never been organized in a way to have a collective voice and collaborative influence. POW’s mission it to unite them and advocate for large-scale policy solutions. “Smartwool believes in sustaining and preserving the awe-inspiring environment so that everyone has the opportunity to experience the joy of the outdoors,” said Corey Stecker, Smartwool sales and marketing director. “That’s why we are proud to support POW as one of our advocacy partner organizations that are fighting to protect our most treasured places and fostering a love of the outdoors in future generations.” The financial support from the Merino apparel brand will help raise awareness of climate change issues as well as fund Hot Planet Cool Athletes, a youth education program. Hot Planet Cool Athletes is a 45- minute multi-media in-school assembly focusing on the athlete’s personal experiences in the outdoors, and why they care so much, while providing an overview of curicullium based climate science, examples of what’s happening, and how students can make a difference. Designed as a turn-key assembly for both the athletes and the schools, it’s available free to any school interested in educating teens about climate change through an in-person, energizing, and informational climate assembly aimed at empowering students to address global climate change. “We believe the places we play should be protected now and shared with future generations ,” added Stecker.

Thanks to our partners and donors, we're in a position to add to our team. Currently, we're seeking a Program Coordinator to lead the coordination of events and activations nationally.   For more information, including application process, please click here - POW Canada Program Coordinator

Woot Woot! Guess who’s coming on board as a partner? That’s right, The North Face!  We’re thrilled to announce The North Face is officially a top tier partner of POW Canada! We’ll work closely with the Canadian arm of TNF who will support our efforts on climate change activism in Canada, and will help create and support regionally relevant initiatives for Canadians wanting to make a difference on the issue. Welcome TNF!

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT / PRESS RELEASE

The North Face Canada signs on as Foundation Partner with Protect our Winters Canada

Montreal, QC – February 28, 2019 – The North Face Canada today announced its partnership with the recently established Canadian chapter of Protect Our Winters (POW), a not-for-profit organization poised to be a leader within the climate change movement. The nonprofit is a budding alliance of outdoor enthusiasts, social innovators, and outdoor-centric scientists dedicated to connecting passion for the outdoors with positive climate action across Canada.

By educating, advocating, and inspiring communities and stakeholders across Canada, The North Face Canada will support POW’s mission and further the brand’s ongoing work around climate change. The North Face Canada and POW Canada believe that our love of adventure in nature mandates our participation in the fight to save and protect it.

Since POW’s creation in 2007, its efforts have expanded to include the wider outdoor sports community, growing from a kernel of an idea into a worldwide network of over 130,000 supporters – a social movement designed to activate a passionate community and create the will for meaningful climate action across the globe.

“Extending the long-standing partnership between The North Face and POW by working directly with POW Canada will allow The North Face to better support POW’s messaging efforts on climate change activism, right here in Canada, and help create and support regionally relevant initiatives for Canadians wanting to make a difference on the issue,” comments Carl Bissonnette, The North Face Canada Marketing Manager.

“As a recognized leader in the outdoor industry, The North Face brings an important and influential voice to our efforts to create impact on climate policy in Canada. The exciting part for us is their commitment to jumping on board at an organizational level and using the skills and experiences of staff and the entire brand to further our mission,” remarks David Erb, Executive Director of Protect Our Winters Canada.

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About The North Face® 

The North Face, a division of VF Outdoor, Inc., was founded in 1966 with the goal of preparing outdoor athletes for the rigors of their next adventure. Today we are the world's leading outdoor brand, creating athlete-tested, expedition-proven products that help people explore and test the limits of human potential. We protect our outdoor playgrounds and minimize our impact on the planet through programs that encourage sustainability. The North Face products are available at premium and specialty retail sporting goods stores globally and we are headquartered in California on a LEED Platinum-certified campus. For more information, please visit www.thenorthface.com.

About POW

Protect Our Winters (POW) is a not-for-profit founded by professional snowboarder Jeremy Jones in 2007. POW turns passionate outdoor people into effective climate advocates and leads a community of athletes, thought pioneers and forward-thinking business leaders to affect systemic political solutions to climate change.

The success of POW Canada depends on our ability to build, mobilize and activate a large and passionate community of outdoor enthusiasts who are willing to lend their voice to a national movement for climate action. As community-based businesses, retailers have a direct link to outdoor enthusiasts and can play an integral part in building the movement locally and nationally.

To tap this potential, we’ve created a Retailer Package available free of charge with everything a store needs to turn their clients into effective climate advocates. Included in each package is:

• Two white POW Canada Die-Cut Stickers (one for your door and one for your check-out)
• 2 POW Canada posters
• 4 POW Canada sign-up sheets

We truly see outdoor retailers as a key partner in our mission. Ask you local retailer to join this free program by contacting us at [email protected]

As Environment and Climate Change Canada releases it's "Top Ten Weather Stories of 2018"; it's hard to believe anyone could read these stories and not be convinced of the need for massive action immediately. From wildfires in BC, drought in the prairies, tornadoes in Ontario and a deadly heat wave in Quebec, the effects of climate change were felt from coast to coast to coast in 2018. Here are two great articles highlighting the weather events of 2018;

Top Ten Weather Stories of 2018

The Year in Climate Change

Athletes and industry influencers are the core of the POW movement. They have the vested interest, social capital and drive to mobilize outdoor enthusiasts around the common goal of climate action. On Saturday November 17, we held our first (soon to be annual) Athlete Summit in Vancouver which saw an all-star cast of top influencers gather for a full day of strategy and training sessions. Sessions included the latest in climate science and modeling with Peter Wood from the David Suzuki Foundation, effective communications strategies presented by Origin Communications, orientation to the POW Canada strategic plan and the Passion Into Purpose athlete tool shared by Marie-France Roy and Mike Douglas.

Collectively, the athletes gathered at the Summit had a social media audience of 1.2 million followers without adding partners/sponsors into the equation. We have a real challenge ahead but we love challenge! Bring on the challenge! Bring on the change! Bring on the POW!

Photos by Reuben Krabbe

We're excited to announce a strategic partnership with Canada Snowboard, the national organization responsible for competitive snowboarding.  Working with provincial and national organizations is a great way for POW Canada to extend its reach and bring more outdoor enthusiasts into the movement. The partnership will see POW Canada deliver climate and advocacy training to Canada Snowboard athletes and staff as well as the opportunity for onsite presence at World Cup events in Canada.  Watch for the POW Canada logo on the national team uniform this coming winter!

From Canada Snowboard Press Release:

Canada Snowboard is pleased to announce a partnership with Protect Our Winters Canada (POW Canada) and The Chill Foundation (Chill). In addition to logo inclusion on the national team uniform, a first in Canada, Canada Snowboard riders will also be given the opportunity to participate in Chill Foundation initiatives and to receive specialized climate change education through POW Canada. Both organizations will also be present at major Canada Snowboard events throughout the season to showcase their causes.  
 
"Promoting sustainable snowboarding is imperative to our vision to be recognized as a world leading snowboard nation";, said Dustin Heise, Executive Director of Canada Snowboard. "Our riders grew up in our unique culture that is snowboarding, and spend much of their professional and personal lives outdoors. As such, they are perfectly positioned to deliver a positive message in regards to inclusion, diversity and the realities of climate change in relation to snowboarding. We are incredibly excited to collaborate with both these organizations this season and beyond.";

"The partnership with Canada Snowboard is a great opportunity for POW Canada to expand our alliance of top tier athlete ambassadors and provide them with the tools and training needed to become effective climate advocates”, added David Erb, Director of Protect Our Winters Canada. “Having our logo on Canada Snowboard’s National Speed team’s uniforms is a fantastic way to bring awareness to our organization and the work of our ambassadors.” 
 
Promoting inclusion and diversity in the sport of snowboarding from the grassroots level, The Chill Foundation currently operates in two Canadian cities – Toronto, and Vancouver. Chill is breaking down participation barriers to snowboarding and boardsports for youth by providing equipment and access to lift tickets, helping to make snowboarding more accessible.
 
“We’re excited to work together with members of Canada Snowboard’s national team and alumni to help spread the message of diversity and inclusion in snowboarding”, said Mandi Parkes, Community & Inclusion Manager at Chill Vancouver. “Collaborating closely with athletes and sport administrators will help provide Canadian Chill participants with additional opportunities to grow both as a person and within snowboarding. We are looking forward to broadcasting our message on a national and international stage and to continue to make snowboarding more accessible to all. ”

About Canada Snowboard

At Canada Snowboard, we believe that embracing the culture of snowboarding combined with a commitment to excellence is the foundation of who we are. Performance at the highest level comes from an athlete-focused approach to training, programs and coaching. Our athletes are amongst the best in the world, and our goal is to continue to provide them the means to achieve their goals. 

Our members are our Provincial and Territorial Associations. They are the backbone of the competitive snowboard pathway. From a young rider’s first event, to joining a club, to progressing to the national team, our Provinces and Territories are key to developing our future high performance athletes. Our goal is to support our members to work together to provide the best possible system for competitive snowboarding on the planet. From coaches to officials, judges to events, sport development to high performance, creating strong alignment from coast to coast will allow us to offer the best possible experience to each participant from park to podium.

About The Chill Foundation
Chill's mission is to inspire youth to overcome challenges through board sports. The organization's programs focus on six core-values: Respect, Courage, Patience, Persistence, Responsibility, and Pride. Chill serves 1,400 kids between the ages of 10 and 18-years-old each year in North America and has impacted almost 24,000 kids since it was started in 1995 by Jake and Donna Carpenter, owners of Burton Snowboards. The Foundation serves youth facing a multitude of challenges such as poverty, addiction, and mental health issues and gives them the chance to break boundaries and find their opportunities to be successful in life. More than that, Chill helps them look forward – to see beyond the circumstances of today and encourages them to focus on positive alternatives for the future.

In the second installment of our Up-Close series, Kye Petersen talks to Anna Segal about growing up in the Sea to Sky, climate change in his backyard and rumours of a starting a new company.  Photos credits to Athan Merrick and Jia Condon.

Fast facts: Professional skier, born in Whistler, currently living in Pemberton, BC

What’s your goal in being involved in Protect Our Winters Canada? My goal is to simply raise awareness of the world climate change crisis and in particular, our local British Columbian and Canadian large scale environmental issues that need to be fought in order to see change.

You were born and raised in the Sea to Sky and had more exposure to the mountains in this area than most locals twice your age. What are the biggest changes you’ve noticed in the mountains? That’s a hard question in the sense that there are so many changes it’s hard to say which is the biggest. The simplest and broadest answer is the disappearance of glacial ice and Névé snow.

We used to see large amounts of snow falling at a consistent rate throughout winter that would stack up. We now have large fluctuations in temps, cold and warm. Extended below seasonal temps with extreme winds from the north now continue for abnormally long periods and come more often. Additionally, we see even more extreme warm temps that arrive earlier than normal in spring. These high-pressure systems allow the mountains to melt and fall apart, allowing the snowpack to melt faster than normal.

All this tends to make our snowpack more dangerous and less consistent. By spring we used to see the snow go into an isotherm pattern (below freezing air temps at night and daytime sun that heats the surface above freezing). This allowed that snow from the winter to turn to fern snow over spring and summer, eventually morphing to glacial ice. However, more recently we’ve seen above freezing temps through spring and summer nights, which in turn allow the glaciers to recede faster than ever before.

One of the other larger changes that we’re seeing is that at low elevations in the valleys, where we always had snow as kids, now rarely retains snow that lasts throughout our ski season. With all these changes we basically see our spring and fall seasons disappear and we just have a winter season with sporadic swings of hot and cold temps that abruptly turns into summer. Then by mid summer the glaciers, peaks and forests are so dry that they cannot recover.

Summers are dryer to the point that we have fires in West Coast rainforests that have never ever burned before five years ago, and Falls that have extreme floods and ice storms we also never used to see. All in all ‘extreme weather’ is the phrase to use for these changes.

Last year we had a winter that many would describe as epic. Yet, this was followed by a summer of  heat waves and devastating forest fires in the area. Do these weather patterns seem normal to you? No. Three years ago was the first time in my 29 years on this planet that we saw smoke from forest fires around the Coast. Every summer since then we’ve had almost a month that’s been so smoky you cannot even go for a bike ride. But as far as last winter season goes, I wouldn’t say it was epic...we had a big start and some large sporadic storms, but no consistency. We used to see one or maybe two arctic outflows, lasting for 3-4 days, that create cold, windy weather and facet the snow. But last year we had at least four arctic outflows and they stuck around for up to two weeks at a time. This made it really hard for the snow to bond to the steeps in the alpine. On top of that, our snowpack was below normal. The last couple years, regardless of the big dumps we have had, or snowpack depth, the snow melted early due to the first few high pressure systems in the spring. The last few good seasons I can remember, that reminded me of back in the day, were the winters of 2009/2010 and 2011/2012- those seasons were epic.

We used to ski powder snow on North faces right through April, May and even to June 1^st, but more recently our big meltdowns are coming early in April when the first big high pressure cycle is now hitting. I think the biggest misconception with climate change is that it’s all warm; that’s wrong because it’s all extreme. For instance, we had one of the rainiest Septembers in history around my home, but we also had the driest August ever. As a young kid it would rain consistently throughout summer in Whistler, but not as much in a short period. And for winter as a kid we used to get a few long high pressures that would stay sunny and cold with a south wind, whereas now I can count on one had the sunny days we now get cold powder snow. It's just extreme wet to extreme dry; extreme dumps to extreme droughts.

Have you made any lifestyle changes over the past 5 years that have been motivated by environmental sustainability? Yes, in many of the ways I live day to day. Mainly what I consume as food, how I travel and the materials I buy. For instance, I think more about where stuff is coming from and what is really necessary to own, or use, or abuse. Also, there are many things I've grown up doing, that some people that haven’t grow up in the mountains might not think about, like simply not over consuming, day to day reusing, recycling, rebuilding and leaving no trace while in the wilderness, etc. We all have a footprint and knowing what it is will help us each to decrease it. I'm constantly learning, evolving and supporting what is at the forefront of sustainability and renewable resources. None of us are perfect and there are many things in our lives that are bad for the environment. Some of these things we can easily change, some we can conspire to change going forward and then there are some that we just cannot get around. But, I think knowing what we can all change as individuals and just being conscious of that is what’s going to change the world, assuming the world does follow. The list goes on but consciousness of everything used and consumed, and what goes into it, is key.

Word on the street is you’re starting a new company. Has sustainability played a part in the manufacturing and materials you’re choosing to use? Yes very much so. It is still not public as to what kind of company I’m starting, but our motto is to ‘build the best product, implement new designs, shapes and materials in an effort to lessen our impact on the planet and improve the quality of ride on snow’. So first is to build the best product we can and then figure out how to do it with the least impact. We are a small group and a small company that aim to keep everything local.

When you choose to associate yourself with different brands as an ambassador or sponsored athlete, do your environmental ethics weigh in at all?  Yes for sure, big time. Now more than ever because I can sort of afford to. But, at the same time I have to make a living. I don’t have any family money, formal education or other career to fall back on.  So at times I've had to take  cheques from brands that I don’t necessarily agree with in terms of how certain parts of their business is run. I’m trying to take this into my own hands so I have more control of it. That’s why I've been working with companies like Patagonia, whom I believe in strongly. Also, starting my own brands and film project are giving me more creative control, along with the control of our environmental footprint.