On Tuesday evening, 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg took to Twitter and Instagram to clarify that she did not decline a visit to Victoria.
This clarification was necessary because earlier today, several media outlets reported that according to mayor Lisa Helps, Thunberg rebuffed the city’s invitation to visit because BC Ferries vessels use fossil fuels.
See also: Thousands of protestors will rally for climate action in Victoria today
“PS. I don’t know anything about an invitation to Victoria, and I have definitely not declined it because of ’emissions’ from the public transport ferry. Just so you know:),” reads her tweet.
“I try to visit as many places as I can, but there’s unfortunately not enough time to visit everywhere.”
PS. I don’t know anything about an invitation to Victoria, and I have definitely not declined it because of “emissions” from the public transport ferry. Just so you know:)
I try to visit as many places as I can, but there’s unfortunately not enough time to visit everywhere.— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) October 23, 2019
In response, Victoria mayor Lisa Helps posted a photo of the open invitation extended to Thunberg from herself, Saanich mayor Fred Haynes, and local teenage climate activists Emma-Jane Burian and Rebecca Wolf Gage.
The letter invites her to both Victoria and Saanich, and states that its authors would arrange public engagements for her if she wishes.
Yes. And I just posted letter we sent last week to Twitter so she'd have it first hand! RT @tessvanstraaten: Clarification from Greta on all the stories swirling today @CHEK_News @BCFerries #ClimateStrike #ClimateEmergency #yyj @AJWVictoriaBC #environment https://t.co/T62T9yLN17 pic.twitter.com/4f6Nej5fwY
— Lisa Helps – Victoria Mayor (@lisahelps) October 23, 2019
There is, however, no indication of if, when, or why Thunberg declined this invite.
The teenage climate activist will be in Vancouver on October 28th to join the #FridaysForFuture climate strike outside the Vancouver Art Gallery.
More to come.
