For Our Grandchildren was founded in 2006 in Toronto by a group of grandparents who were deeply concerned that the world was taking inadequate action to prevent the worst effects of the changing climate and that these changes would have serious negative consequences on their grandchildren. In 2010 it was incorporated as a non profit Canadian Corporation with the mission “To Inform, Motivate, and Mobilize” grandparents in Canada about climate change.Â
Founders
- Anthony Ketchum, Chair, Toronto Conservation Foundation (2010-12);
- Mary Ketchum BSW, Counsellor to Senior Citizens;
- Peter Jones, Lawyer (ret’d);
- Marg Anne Jones, Nurse and Health Educator;(ret’d)
- Walter Pitman, formerly M.P., M.P.P.; Head of Ryerson University, OISE.
From 2009 to 2020 the group ran its web site and newsletter to further that goal. In addition we organized large public meetings, mostly in Toronto but also in Guelph and in Peterborough.
In 2013 4RG held its first public meeting in Peterborough, and a few weeks later met at the Silver Bean to form the Peterborough chapter. Since then we have held many public events, written letters to the editor, lobbied public officials, and received a few municipal awards.
In 2018 the Head Office moved to Peterborough and activities are now mostly focused there. Conditions in public awareness of climate change have changed so much since our founding that we no longer need to inform the general public about climate change, it’s in the news every day. So we have changed our focus to a more direct, personal, and local approach to engage people in what actions they can take to prevent the worst from occurring.
We are in the process of reviewing our bylaws to reflect these changed conditions.
