It’s a Fact

Guided by their desire to facilitate change in their community, WAM teaches residents of Saskatoon about the importance of simple environmental action.

Over the course of the next year, a small group of dedicated community members (the majority were under the age of 25) volunteered their time to make this festival a reality. Guided by their desire to facilitate change in the community, WAM secured support from representatives of industry, academic institutions, and all levels of government in addition to a multitude of community, environmental and arts organizations.

After dozens of meetings, planning sessions and fundraisers, the hard work paid off. Held in Saskatoon’s Diefenbaker Park from August 22 to 24, 2008 the WAM Festival drew an estimated 12 500 to 15 000 people from across the province. Successes of the event include

• Negotiating a $1 bus fare for the entire weekend with Saskatoon Transit Services
• Training 150 youth volunteers to serve as festival and environmental ambassadors
• Conducting 34 workshops on topics ranging from peak oil to making baby food from scratch
• Hosting an Eco-Fair, with 45 non-profit organizations and local businesses promoting environmental responsibility and products.

At the centre of the park, festival goers had the opportunity to take the message of the WAM Festival beyond the three day event by signing the WAM Pact. The Pact presented 21 simple and practical actions that signatories could commit to in their everyday lives to reduce their impact on the environment.

The future is definitely bright for WAM. Taking their relationship with Saskatoon Transit Services one step further, they created the EcoPass to encourage people working in specific areas to ride the bus. As more people sign on, the cost of the annual EcoPass goes down along with emissions produced from single passenger commuters. WAM is also working with Saskatoon Transit Services to increase the number of students who ride the bus, creating the first-ever universal high school bus pass for over 15 000 students. It is projected that transit ridership among students will increase by 20% to 25%.

WAM continues to promote the importance of the WAM Pact and responsible living. In support of their efforts, the Saskatoon Community Youth Art Program designed, created and donated an entre mural in the downtown core of Saskatoon as a reminder that We Are Many is making Saskatoon more environmentally friendly – with the support of many.