Halifax to mark Earth Day with parade along the waterfront

Local organizations will come together for Halifax's first People's Parade for Life on Earth to celebrate Earth Day on Saturday.

Ducie Howe, a Mi'kmaw water walker from Sipekne'katik First Nation, helped organize the community parade, alongside the Ecology Action Centre.

"Everybody of all nations and all colours and all religions are going to get together to honour the earth and our relatives," Howe told CBC Radio's Information Morning Nova Scotia on Friday.

Howe said this parade is a sign that an environmental Mi'kmaw prophecy is beginning, at a time when the Earth is at aturning point.

"[The prophecy]talks about a time when young people stand up and speak up and start protecting life. All life. Not just human life, but our waters and our relatives," Howe said.

"It talks about when all races of man work together that we can move forward and bring balance and bring a good life to earth."

The parade will take place from 2-3 p.m. AT on the Halifax waterfront. The route will start at the Wave at Sackville Landingand move towardthe Halifax Seaport.

Joanna Bull, the community engagement manager of the Ecology Action Centre,also helped organize the parade. She said the public is welcome to watch the parade from anywhere along the waterfront.

The paradewill be led by Mi'kmaw water walkers, who will be joined by more than 35 community groups including the Grassroots Grandmother Circle, the Girl Guides of Canada, the Rainbow Refugee Association and the Council of Canadians.

"It will be an uplifting experiencebecause it'll be a showing of how many people really care and that it's universal," Bulltold Information Morning. "It's all of us who are in this together. It's going to be totally beautiful."

She said the parade will end at the Peace and Friendship Park, wherea ceremony and celebrationwill take place from 3-5 p.m. There will be drumming, dancing and food.

"We thought if all of these groups are coming into the parade, we really want a chance for everyone to connect with each other and to see where they can get involved," she said.

"It can be something that helps to build our broader movement."