Saturday May 24: March Against Monsanto in Toronto

At 11am on Saturday, May 24th, in Queens Park, beekeepers will open the third March Against Monsanto Tornto by dumping a coffin filled with hundreds of thousands of bees that have died this past winter to illustrate the increasing numbers of Ontario bee deaths linked to the use of agricultural neonicotinoid pesticides.

This “REQUIEM FOR BEES” will include four pallbearers in beekeeping suits and black mourning armbands will be distributed to attendees. Following the ceremony, speakers will -briefly- address marchers before proceeding to the TORONTO GMO-FREE FESTIVAL & FARMERS’ MARKET.

Speakers at the March will include:
• John Bennett, executive director, Sierra Club Canada
• Karen McKenna, local apiarist, Hi Honey
• Julie Daniluk, nutritionist, author and TV host
• Rachel Parent, founder Kids Rights to Know

Beekeepers were chosen to open this March as a statement against neonicotinoid pesticides, and to call on Monsanto, its subsidiaries and allied companies to:

1) Stop producing GMOs and
2) Stop using neonicotinoids.

Time is of the essence to ban these chemicals, to protect pollinators and save our food supply!

What to Wear to Requiem for Bees??
We ask that all marchers wear all black, pollinator-inspired or GMO-inspired costumes in honor of the millions of Ontario bees lost.

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The MARCH AGAINST MONSANTO is a global call to action aimed at informing the public and calling into question the long-term health and environmental effects of genetically modified foods.

The first MAM was held in May 2013, where over two million people across the globe (and nearly 3,000 in Toronto) took to the streets and raised their voices in solidarity to reclaim our food systems and unite against the corporations who are threatening our health, our children and our planet.

REASONS WE MARCH

• Seed Freedom–an end to patents on seed and to
defend the rights of local farmers & gardeners to
save, breed, trade and replant seeds
• Boycott GMOs
• Demand mandatory GMO labeling
• Protect our food supply
• Promote organic solutions & a sustainable agriculture
• Support alternatives to agro-chemicals that harm our
bees and pollinators
• Expose the cronyism between big business and
government and bring accountability to those
responsible for the corruption
• Further scientific research on the health and
environmental effects of GMOs
• Demand regulatory modernization of the Canadian
Novel Foods Act

These six Big Agro corporations MONSANTO, SYNGENTA, BAYER, DUPONT, DOW and BASF should not be allowed to monopolize the world’s food supply!

THE ROUTE
We will gather in QUEEN’s PARK, at 111 WELLESLEY STREET WEST (just north of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario), proceed east on Wellesley, north on Yonge to Bloor and…until the Festival’s park permit is finalized, that’s all we can tell you…please bear with us!!

Note: the MAM will take approximately 45-50 minutes to arrive at the Festival site. If you’re with seniors or children who are unable to walk for that long, you may want to meet up with the March at the corner of Yonge & Bloor or perhaps not march at all, and go directly to the Festival.

TORONTO GMO-FREE FESTIVAL & FARMERS’ MARKET 12-6 PM -
Hosted by the newly formed Toronto Non-GMO Coalition, TORONTO’s first GMO-FREE FESTIVAL & FARMERS’ MARKET will include amazing, high-profile speakers (including Dr. Shiv Chopra), local performers, environmentally conscious vendors, and an organic/non-GMO farmers’ market.

The Festival’s goal is to increase awareness about the health and environmental impacts of GMOs while celebrating the wonderful organic and non-GMO farmers and businesses that serve our Greater Toronto Area. Marchers and non-marchers alike are encouraged to attend this groundbreaking Festival.

***The Festival Website will be launched within days where you can check out the exciting lineup and donate to the cause!***

WHAT CAN YOU DO BETWEEN NOW & MAY 24?

• Initiate. Start a dialogue with your neighbors, friends and families about GMOs. Invite them to attend the March; work on a creative bee/monarch/GMO-inspired costume, and start making your signs! Share the link to this event page with hashtag #MAMTO

• Donate. Financially support the MAMTO, the FESTIVAL and the Coalition…staging, sound equipment, publicity, tents, and park permits are very expensive! Email Toronto.NonGMOCoalition@gmail.com for info

• Volunteer. If you would like to volunteer for the March, please email MillionsAgainstMonsantoToronto@gmail.com If you’d like to work at the Festival, email Toronto.NonGMOCoalition@gmail.com

• Table. If your farm, business or organization would like to host a table or fun activity at the GMO-FREE FESTIVAL & FARMERS’ MARKET, please email: Toronto.NonGMOCoalition@gmail.com

Thank you for your support, and we’ll see you on the 24th!