Dear WAM supporters,

Almost exactly one week ago, a gaggle of WAM organisers took the stage with the iconic children's entertainer, Fred Penner.  He wrote a song for We Are Many and taught it to all of us backstage.  It began, "Start with one, soon the many will/Take this world and turn it around."  Thousands of people, of all ages and backgrounds, gathered in the sunlight for Fred's performance.  And as we climbed the steps to join him on stage, we agreed that we were in the midst of the most inspiring weekend of our lives!

*check out the Saskatoon StarPhoenix article below for a less biased account!*

One of the things about the festival that we're most proud of is that it was all organised by a youth collective.  There was no leader -- just a group of young people cooperating to make something big happen.  And the community worked with us, every step of the way.  This festival would have been impossible without the thousands of people receiving this message.  THANK YOU.  In particular:

-- Thank you for the crowd of a minimum of 10,000 people (the park can be entered from all sides, and we only had a counter on the main path, so 10,000 is just the minimum we have proof of!).  People in the business who attended WAM estimated that there were more like 15,000 people; either way we're happy! 

-- Thank you for the incredibly well-attended workshops, theatre performances, demonstrations, and Eco Fair.  Thank you for bringing your children to the Children's Tent in droves!

-- Thank you for the thank yous -- the messages of encouragement and support have poured in throughout the last few days, and your appreciation makes our hard work worth it.

ONE LAST FAVOUR: Please help us out and write a letter to the editor (http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/letters.html) if you have anything to say about the festival!  Also, please send a big thank-you to the Mayor and City Council (http://www.saskatoon.ca/org/ward_councillors/index.asp) and your MLA (http://www.legassembly.sk.ca/members/mla_list.htm) for their support, financial and otherwise -- and PLEASE Cc us.  Finally, SEND US TESTIMONIALS -- written, photographic, or in video form!  We are collecting these for final reports and future funding applications (and they won't be used without your permission)!  Thanks!!

"Start with one, and soon the many will take this world and turn it around," sang Fred Penner from the We Are Many festival's stage on Saturday afternoon.

That the lyrics, which came from the iconic children's entertainer's song Glory Bound, were in keeping with the activist spirit of the festival was no surprise, seeing as Penner penned the song specifically for WAM. What was surprising was that Penner -- who still sings songs about sandwiches and the cat coming back -- was able to make his message resonate equally well with both young and old concertgoers.

While Penner was marvelling at the "dynamic range of people" that come to his shows, adults, children and families were gathering around the WAM Pact tent to pledge their commitment to environmental values.

Festival attendees who signed the pact could pledge to do things such as use energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs, learn the bus routes near their homes or carpool to work.

Many people were signing the pact in order to have their voice heard on a political level.

"I think it's important. The government has its head in the sand when it comes to environmental issues," said Gwen Russell.

"I'm signing the pact to send a message to City Hall," echoed Gerry Burgess.

Others at the festival were free to add their thoughts to an environmental wish-list that would be sent to city officials following the festival.

The list boasted a number of wishes, including lower bus fares, better cycling routes and "ban plastic water bottles and Styrofoam."

Some WAM attendees had slightly more humble aspirations.

"I'm going to go home and ask my dad if I can build a compost," said eight-year-old Casey Sluzato, who was at the festival with his mother, Nicky.

The desire for change wasn't just limited to individuals at the festival. The Saskatoon Public Library was on hand at WAM with displays and performers in the children's tent, and outreach co-ordinator Patricia Lozowchuk was eager to discuss the library's environmental efforts.

"The biggest thing I tried to do was to try and get the library to sign on as a corporate body. Although we didn't actually get that far, we've had changes made as a result of us coming to the festival," she said.

The library has recently arranged to have Saskatoon Curbside Recycling come to the main branch of the library, and "the staff are all stoked about what they can do to cut power, recycle more paper and recycle water," said Lozowchuk. "It's a big first step for the library."

And although he likely didn't hear Fred Penner's song, Radu Stefureac, a taxi driver waiting to pick people up outside the festival, had his own suggestion for WAM's wish list.

"The city should allow cabs to be electric cars so they wouldn't use all this gasoline" he said.

As the festival was winding up Sunday, organizers hailed it as a success but were non-committal on whether there would be a version of it next year.

"Our original intention was for it to be one-time event," said media co-ordinator Alix Stoicheff. "I don't know if we have the energy (for another)."

The festival was organized by a core group of about 12 people who worked on it full-time for more than a year, she noted. But the sheer volume of people who passed through and the number of signatories to the WAM Pact make an enticing argument for a follow-up.

"We had about 9,000 people, maybe 10,000 when it's all done," Stoicheff said a few hours before the event concluded. "We're really proud of that."

Political representatives from every party in the province stopped in for a visit, as well as city councillors, she said. Workshop sessions on everything from organic agriculture and international development to geothermal homes and waste reduction were packed, as were the activities in the writer's tent and the children's tent.

On the first day of the We Are Many Festival, Joel Plaskett and the Emergency rocked the show and completed a day of great performances and exciting workshops. By the end of the day, over three thousand people had visited the festival. Despite our frosty breath and our bundled condition, everyone had a great time.

Today we're expecting even more to come out and enjoy the sunny weather. Check out  today's schedule, highlights include Fred Penner, the Weakerthans, and Tom Jackson, alongside a bunch of really interesting workshops.

See you there!

The We Are Many Festival.

Hi everyone!

 

As most of you know, the first-ever We Are Many Festival is quickly approaching (August 22-24 at Saskatoon's Diefenbaker Park).

 

In addition to being a hoppin' good time, it's a unique event that we hope will put Saskatoon and Saskatchewan on the map as a leader in making positive changes toward environmental sustainability.

 

It's a pay-what-you-can event (accessible to everyone) and includes the following:

 

• DELICIOUS FOOD made locally
• MUSIC by Joel Plaskett, Brad Johner, Theresa Sokyrka, Fred Penner (yes, THAT Fred Penner), Tom Jackson (North of 60), The Weakerthans, Boots Riley and Silk-E of The Coup, and your favourite local bands (visit our website for details)
• CHILDREN'S TENT featuring some of Saskatchewan's acclaimed children's entertainers, organisations, and environmentalists
• WORKSHOPS and PRESENTATIONS by local experts on all things sustainable
• BEER by Saskatoon's own Great Western Brewing Company
• PEACE and LITERARY TENT featuring workshops by some of the most prominent and up-and-coming writers on the prairies
• SCIC GLOBAL JUSTICE TENT with presentations and arts workshops for making connections among the environment, development, and global partnerships
• SUMMER OUTDOOR GOODNESS – SOAK IT IN BEFORE WINTER STRIKES!

 

If you REALLY want to experience the festival, join our amazing (and constantly growing) group of volunteers! 

 

Our last volunteer orientation session will be held at the Meewasin Valley Centre:

 

Wednesday, August 20th from 7:00pm-8:00pm

 

Are you from out of town?  No problem!  Take advantage of the rooms that the Saskatoon Confederation Inn is offering at the reduced rate of $50 to WAM participants (call in advance -- space is limited).  Once you're here, hop on a city bus:  In honour of WAM, bus rates have been dropped to $1 for the entire weekend!  Also, buses will be taking extra trips to and from Diefenbaker Park to accommodate festival participants.  Bring your own cup, bowl, and spoon!  You will be green AND save on food and beverage costs throughout the site.  If you really can't make it but want to support the cause, you can still help out by visiting our website and clicking "Donate" – every little bit helps!  Since we're a non-profit organisation and are trying to make this accessible to everyone, we rely largely on donations.  Also, keep exploring our website to find solutions for making your life greener. 

 

 

Heather Lake

h.lake@wearemanyfestival.com