A Vancouver-based citizens group is using a holiday-themed protest to call out what it describes as weak climate policy by Canada’s federal and British Columbia governments, urging residents to send symbolic “lumps of coal” to Prime Minister Mark Carney and Premier David Eby.
The campaign, launched by environmental advocacy organization My Sea to Sky, features festive postcards depicting the two leaders as “naughty” politicians waking up on Christmas morning to find coal in their stockings. According to the group, nearly 500 postcards have already been mailed to the Prime Minister’s Office and the B.C. premier’s office as of late December.
The initiative is aimed at drawing public attention to policy decisions that My Sea to Sky says undermine climate action, particularly government support for fossil fuel development, including liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports and fracking. The group says the tongue-in-cheek approach is intended to make a serious point during a time when political engagement is often subdued.
“Our politicians have been very naughty this year,” says Tracey Saxby, marine scientist and Executive Director of My Sea to Sky.
Saxby argues that government actions are out of step with public opinion and Canada’s stated climate commitments. “83 percent of Canadians believe that governments should act on climate change. Instead, our politicians have doubled down on fracking and dirty LNG exports, given away public money to fossil fuel companies, and increased energy costs for everyday Canadians to greenwash LNG.”
Canada remains a major global producer of fossil fuels. It is currently the fourth-largest oil producer and the fifth-largest methane gas producer worldwide, placing it among the top ten contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions. While federal and provincial governments have committed to reducing emissions over the coming decades, critics say recent policy choices risk locking in long-term fossil fuel dependence.
My Sea to Sky points to recent assessments indicating that neither Canada nor British Columbia is on track to meet their stated climate targets. The group also cites international criticism, noting that Canada was awarded “fossil of the day” at the COP30 climate summit in November, a designation given by civil society groups to countries viewed as obstructing climate progress.
The postcard campaign has attracted support from parents and grandparents concerned about the long-term impacts of climate change on affordability, public finances, and future generations. Organizers say the framing of the campaign around children and Christmas is deliberate, highlighting what they see as the moral dimension of climate policy.
“I am a grandfather, and I am extremely disappointed in the poor policy choices that our politicians are making to subsidize and expand fossil fuel extraction at great public expense. Climate change is already making life unaffordable for Canadians. Like the grinch, Prime Minister Carney and Premier Eby are stealing a livable future from our children,” says Eoin Finn, a retired KPMG partner, and Chair of My Sea to Sky.
Finn adds that the cost of climate inaction is already being felt through rising insurance premiums, infrastructure damage from extreme weather, and higher household expenses, pressures that disproportionately affect younger Canadians and those on fixed incomes. He says continued public subsidies for fossil fuel projects only deepen those risks while diverting funds from clean energy and resilience measures.
“That’s why we’re calling on British Columbians to send them a lump of coal for Christmas. We need our politicians to stop adding more fuel to the fire.”
While the campaign is largely symbolic, My Sea to Sky says it reflects growing frustration among voters who believe governments are failing to match climate rhetoric with decisive action. The group is encouraging British Columbians to participate through the holiday period and into the new year, framing the postcards as a reminder that climate policy remains a live political issue even during the festive season.
Neither the Prime Minister’s Office nor the B.C. premier’s office has publicly responded to the postcard campaign.
