Students in Montreal and around the world begin to mobilize for climate change strike

U.N. Youth Climate Summit kicks off Teenage activist Greta Thunberg delivered opening remarks at the U.N. Youth Climate Summit in New York.

Students at Montreal's Dawson College and the University of British Columbia, the Toronto District School Board are beginning to mobilize for the mass climate demonstrations next Friday.

Some Canadian boards and administrations are supporting the global call to action and moving to allow or even encourage students to miss class for the cause.

Dawson College said next Friday will be the first time in its 50-year history that the school will cancel classes for a march to help slow climate change.

The Toronto board has asked its schools to avoid scheduling tests and other assignments next Friday, to ensure students aren't penalized for attending a rally outside the Ontario legislature.

U-B-C is advising students taking part in the walkout to discuss possible accommodations with their instructors.

The Global Climate Strike is timed to coincide with the United Nations Climate Action Summit in New York next week.

It's partly inspired by Swedish teenage activist Greta Thunberg, who will attend a Montreal rally next Friday.

Thunberg has staged weekly demonstrations over the past year under the hashtag #FridaysForFuture, and the website fridaysforfuture.org lists more than 100 climate strikes that are planned across Canada.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2019.
With files from CTV News Montreal