Newmarket residents Peggy Stevens and Dave Kempton have been walking the talk for decades.
The two met as part of an anti-nuclear weapons group back in the 1980s and have maintained a role fighting for climate-based and social causes throughout their adult lives.
These days, the two are members of Climate Action Newmarket-Aurora and Cycle Newmarket, fighting locally for environmental and pro-biking causes.
“Once you’re involved, you realize, you believe, that grassroots movement will make a difference,” Stevens said. “And we have seen change.”
Kempton and Stevens have gained acclaim for their volunteer advocacy efforts around the community. As part of Climate Action Newmarket, they helped spur the town to work out an agreement for a more environmentally friendly development at Shining Hills this past year. They have also continued to fight for better cycling infrastructure and are founders of an annual juried art show.
Stevens said her parents helped inspire her efforts.
“They were an example of social activism. Not so much marching in the streets, but definitely participating in the community and trying to make a difference in a good way,” she said.
After living elsewhere around the GTA and province, the two retired together in Newmarket and got involved with local advocacy groups over the past few years.
“Part of the question is, if not us, then who? The group’s Climate Action and Cycle Newmarket are both fairly small,” Kempton said. “We punch above our weight, but we’re still small. If we were to stop, I’d feel bad about that.”
But the two get plenty out of it personally.
“Activism gives meaning to our lives,” Stevens said. “Retirement is lovely and wonderful … But for me, and I’m pretty sure for Dave, that’s great, and that’s wonderful, but it doesn’t give purpose, where activism gives purpose. Being part of groups, you get regeneration.”
It has not always gone well for them. Although they said they were happy with the environmental provisions of the Shining Hill development, they said their group got some flak for the effort versus outright opposing the project going ahead on formerly protected land.
“It was a risk for a climate group to speak in favour of a development,” Stevens said. “If all we do is condemn what the town is doing, that’s not the kind of activism we’re interested in.”
The two plan to continue their various activism efforts, as well as putting on another juried art show next year. Stevens said she recently joined in a public protest of the controversial provincial housing legislation, Bill 23.
“We’ll probably both die on a picket line somewhere,” Kempton joked.
Stevens said they did not intend to assume leadership roles in activism, but it became important to be involved in their community.
“We’ll keep doing what we can,” Stevens said, adding that “you don’t give up. You keep it going.”
