Global lovin’

>>Montreal gives the Earth a hug
with the Festival Mondial de la Terre

EVERYTHING’S GOING GREEN:
Salon National de l’Environnement

by CHRIS BARRY

From Monday, June 16 to Sunday, June 22, taking its place alongside 25 other countries from around the globe, Canada will be participating in this year’s Festival Mondial de la Terre, with Montreal hosting the action. Local organizers say the festival, which originated in France, is designed to be an event “where everyone involved in the protection of the environment, people from all over the world, can get together in the spirit of peace and solidarity to express their commitment to the planet and its people.”

“The purpose of le Festival Mondial de la Terre is to try to get people to think about the environment and its protection in a festive way,” explains festival spokesperson Serge Grenier. “We don’t want to hear a lot of crying about it or any recrimination, we want the event to be something positive, something fun, something pleasant for everyone.”

MODEL CITIZEN: Le Grand Défilé Vert 2008

And hey, if you can’t find it in yourself to have a ball while some three plant or animal species disappear from the planet every hour, while the oceans rise to dangerous levels and our forests turn to desert, then maybe you’re just not trying hard enough. You, more than anyone, need to head down and check out a few festival highlights. And speaking of highlights, here’s a handful to look forward to. For a complete schedule, go to festivaldelaterre.ca.

Le Grand Défilé Vert 2008 kicks things off on Monday, June 16, at 7 p.m. at the Saint-Jean Baptiste Church (4237 Henri-Julien, at Rachel). Yup, it’s a fashion show, but not just any fashion show, because, as Grenier points out, “Every element of the event will be green, and all the clothes on display will have been made from recycled fabrics. Even the hairspray the stylists use will be organic. So while the main idea is to promote something green, it’s also a fashion show with over 100 very beautiful models and 25 designers participating.” Throw in a few vedettes, Marc Béland, Kim Bingham and a heap of surprise guests and you’ve got yourself one heck of a green fashion wingding. Tickets are 10 bucks.

Fiesta Cubana: If you’re in the mood for bashing the United States about the absurdly ridiculous embargo they placed upon Cuba some 46 years ago, one they stubbornly still cling to in spite of it being considered a joke to the rest of the planet for almost as long, then this evening of Caribbean cabaret might be right up your alley. Featured guests include Ernesto A. Senti Darias, ambassador to Canada for the Castro bros’ brutally repressive regime, who will be on hand to express solidarity for five Cuban “heroes unjustly imprisoned in the U.S.” Tickets are five bucks and music will be provided by Caliente Son among others. It all goes down at Café Campus (57 Prince Arthur E.), Wednesday, June 18, at 8 p.m.

Journée de la Lenteur: For the less energetic environmentalists among us, come spend Saturday, June 21, from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. lazing around Lafontaine park by the statue of Félix Leclerc. The idea is, basically, to actively chill and maybe meditate, do some knitting, some singing, some laughin’ and generally just do your best to have a good time with a whole lot of kindred spirits all looking to do the same thing.

Danse Planétaire Solstice: After a day of getting good and restless doing a lot of nothing at Lafontaine Park, head on over to Bain Mathieu (2915 Ontario E.) to get your groove on to the stylin’ tribal, house and trance sounds of righteous DJs Yvy and Prophety. Organic juice drinks will be served and the films Tout Rien (1979) and Repercussions (2005) will be screened over the course of the night. Tickets are $15, $10 for students.

Also taking place this weekend (Friday, June 13 to Sunday, June 15) along a similar theme will be Salon National de l’Environnement, which runs from 10 a.m.–8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. on Sunday at the Old Port. Organizers expect 165 exhibits to be on display, with practical workshops, public conferences, hosted booths and other events taking place throughout the weekend. With its objective being to “make visitors aware of today’s environmental challenges while proposing solutions and tools for people to have a better understanding and to encourage behavioural changes,” a wealth of valuable information should be up for grabs, and better, at no cost, given that admission is free. For more information about some of the discussions and workshops taking place—ranging in scope from Combating Climate Change to Green Products: Myth or Reality—go to www.sne2008.com.