This article appeared in the Dec. 12, 2012 issue of the Interlake Enterprise…by Teresa Carey…
Suzuki and Belanger at Tim Hortons in Portage
“I grew up watching David Suzuki and “The Nature of Things,” and watching that one hour special once a week really shaped the way I see the world and ultimately helped me in my career choice,” said Armand Belanger, Manager of the East Interlake Conservation District (EICD) in Gimli.
Belanger was one of two conservation district managers who would drive the iconic David Suzuki back to Winnipeg following the Manitoba Conservation District Association (MCDA) conference held in Brandon on Dec. 3 and 4.
Belanger shared escorting duties with Cooks Creek Conservation District (CCCD) Manager, Colin Gluting. Both had quickly raised their hands at a recent MCDA manager meeting when it was asked who wanted to volunteer for the job.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever get the chance to spend time with another national icon, and with someone that shaped my life quite like Dr. Suzuki, so I’m really happy I took advantage of this opportunity,” Belanger said. “He would just open up to any questions we had about him.”
Belanger said he was interested in how Suzuki started off, how he made the transition from a research scientist to a “sort of a journalist”.
“He got fired from the Globe and Mail. They wanted him to write about science in general. Instead, he kept writing about the environment and things that needed to get done…His outlook for the future is pretty stark if we keep using the resources the way we do,” Belanger said. “It’s pretty stark, but [Suzuki believes] it’s worth the fight,”
By all accounts, the annual conference was worth the trip to Brandon. Attendance was strong this year, with over 1,000 people coming to hear Suzuki speak.
Some of the issues Suzuki raised at the conference concerned the need to keep science in political decision making, and the inclusion of the right of access to a clean environment in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom.
During the trip back to Winnipeg, Suzuki expounded on some of the topic raised during the conference, as well as others, some of them on the relationship between ecology and the economy.
” David clearly says that ecology should take priority over the economy. He said “the way we see the world shapes the way we treat it”.
“Another big point of Suzuki’s speech and conversations on the road trip is the fact that Canadians ship out a lot of our resources so other countries can build a product out of it. Suzuki points out that if we are going to harvest our resources like trees, oil, water and food we should not ship them across the world to be completed somewhere else,” Belanger said.”He then referenced how the country of Bolivia is refusing to ship out their natural supply of lithium until those jobs to make lithium batteries stay in Bolivia. Bolivia is also one of the few countries that give as much rights to its natural environment as it does to the people that live there.”
The three scientists enjoyed further conversations, about the need to get First Nations communities involved in development and decision making, the need for young people to get outdoors and into nature, and about Suzuki’s exciting new research project that looks at an innovative method of sustainable fish farming that utilizes insects which feed on compost collected from the city.
All was not science talk on the way home, however. The three made a stop along the way at Tim Horton’s in Portage la Prairie where Suzuki treated everyone to coffee and donuts. While there, a Portage man recognized him and asked what he was doing there.
“I just wanted to come where the action was,” Suzuki laughed.
The cordial trip ended at a hotel near Winnipeg’s airport.
Belanger’s only regret is that he failed to ask if there was anything Suzuki wanted to do before leaving Brandon. As it turned out, Suzuki really wanted to stop for a beer to unwind before heading out. If there is ever a next time, Belanger said he would “make sure my icon was a little well-rested before getting on the road.”
“He was overall just a great guy,” Belanger continued. “He is just so passionate about the environment. He will share [his thoughts] with anyone. ”
Belanger will receive a copy of Suzuki’s lecture in Brandon in the near future and has plans for a public viewing of it.
Stay tuned to the Interlake Enterprise for further details.
