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MEC to close for global climate strike

For the first time, the Vancouver-based outdoor retailer will offer employees the day off to demonstrate
die-in
Sustainabiliteens Vancouver held a die-in for action against climate change Friday downtown at different locations, including Teck Resources Ltd., marched to the Vancouver Art Gallery to end their day of protest. Photo Dan Toulgoet

Canada’s largest outdoor retail chain Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) will shut its doors this Friday, Sept. 27, so that its workers can take part in climate strike demonstrations happening around the world. 

The shutdown will apply to all MEC locations across Canada until 5 p.m. local time, wrote the outdoor retailer’s CEO Phil Arrata in an open letter Friday. 

“This is the first time we are doing something of this magnitude,” wrote Arriata. “We are members of this Co-op because we share a love of the outdoors. It’s time to act so we can protect it for generations to come [sic.].”

The week-long global climate strike began yesterday, Sep. 20, and calls on leaders from around to world to implement policies that will halt human induced climate change and wean the global economy off fossil fuels and towards clean energy.