We are excited to share information about Nanaimo Climate Connections 2025 — Nanaimo’s inaugural FREE community climate event, taking place at Wellington Hall in Nanaimo, September 12th and 13th, 2025!
This year’s theme is: Local Actions in a Global Crisis. Together, we will explore how we can collectively make a significant impact on the climate emergency.
Event Schedule
Friday, September 12th
- 5:00 - 6:00pm - Registration and Community Fair Opens
- 6:00 - 9:30pm - Pre-Summit Climate Café with musical guest Elise Boulanger
Saturday, September 13th
- 8:00 - 9:00am - Registration and Community Fair
- 9:00 - 12:15pm - NCC25 Opening Plenary, Featuring:
- Geraldine Manson (Guest of Honour)
- Seth Klein (Keynote)
- Andrew Gage (Featured Speaker)
- Community Action Panel, Moderated by Heather Baitz, Vice-Chair, NCAH
- 12:15 - 1:30pm - Lunch Break (optional Connect the Dots session for those who sign up)
- 1:30 - 2:15pm - Breakout Sessions
- 2:30 - 3:15pm - Breakout Sessions
- 3:30 - 5:00pm - Final Plenary Session
- Laura Lynch (Closing Keynote)
- Climate Champion Awards
- Final Thoughts
- 5:00 - 6:30pm - (Dry) Happy Hour Closing Reception
Featured Speakers
Seth Klein, Opening Keynote
Seth is the Team Lead and Director of Strategy with the Climate Emergency Unit. Prior to that, he served for 22 years as the founding director of the British Columbia office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA), a social justice think tank. He is now a freelance policy consultant, speaker, researcher and writer, and author of A Good War: Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency.
Laura Lynch, Closing Keynote
Laura Lynch is an award-winning journalist and is the host of CBC’s What On Earth. In the course of her career, she has reported from across Canada and around the world, covering everything from the Supreme Court of Canada to Parliament Hill to international conflicts. After many years abroad, Laura is back in Vancouver using her years of experience to tell Canadians what they need to know about climate change, its challenges and solutions.
Additional Presenters
- Geraldine Manson - Guest of Honour, VIU Elder-in-Residence and member of the Snuneymuxw First Nation
- Andrew Gage - Featured Speaker, environmental lawyer and project lead for West Coast’s Climate Change program
- Crystal Starr Lewis - Breakout Session Speaker, Indigenous youth advocate and policy developer
- Chloë Fraser - Breakout Session Speaker, storyteller and communications strategist at Pacific Salmon Foundation
- Kevin Good - Breakout Session Speaker, member of Snuneymuxw and Tseshaht First Nations
- David Quigg - Breakout Session Speaker, Organizer at Sierra Club B.C.
Event Details
- Cost: FREE (registration required)
- Location: Wellington Hall, Nanaimo
- Dates: September 12-13, 2025
- Registration: Required - visit Nanaimo Climate Action Hub to register
What to Expect
- Community Fair with exhibitors and organizations
- Breakout Sessions on various climate action topics
- Climate Champion Awards recognizing local climate leaders
- Free refreshments throughout the day
- Lunch available for purchase (pre-purchase at discounted rate during registration)
- Musical entertainment by Elise Boulanger on Friday evening
Registration
Registration is NOW OPEN! This event is FREE, but registration is required to attend. Separate registration is required for each person in your group.
For better mobile experience or if your desktop browser has trouble with the embedded form, you can follow the link to access the form on their registration platform Lu.ma.
About the Organizers
Nanaimo Climate Connections 2025 is possible thanks to generous support from the City of Nanaimo’s Environmental Sustainability Community Project Grant and the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions.
This event is organized by the Nanaimo Climate Action Hub, bringing together community members, organizations, and leaders to address the climate emergency through local action and community connection.
This event is organized by the Nanaimo Climate Action Hub. Strong Towns Nanaimo is sharing this information to support our community’s climate action efforts and encourage participation in this important local event.