Mackenzie Kerr

Woah. Well this is cool. I am a guest speaker on this panel with @annamiepaul the Leader of the Green Party of Canada and @dianne.saxe one of Canada’s most respected environmental lawyers. The @younggreensontario asked me attend and chat about young people in politics, where we are at and where we wanna go. I am so honoured but I am also very transparent about how imposter syndrome affects me being a young person in politics. Am I good enough to be invited? Do I belong the...re? There are other people who have been doing this longer? People who public speak better than me etc.. This will be a part of the conversation and I will dive into how we can get more young people interested in politics! Register at the link in my bio! (Instagram) (link is in the comments on Facebook) You don’t have to be from Ontario. Everyone welcome! 4pm on the 11th

Hiking can be racist. Let’s talk about it. Now that I have your attention, I want you to read this post with an open mind. I encourage you to think about the privileges you have if you are an avid hiker. From being able to afford gear (used or new) to accessing the trails with a vehicle, seeing people that look like you on the trails or sharing their stories, Black, Indigenous and People of Colour are underrepresented in the outdoor rec community. If you feel threatened by re...ading this please know I’m not attacking you, it’s bringing to light an issue in our society that you can be a part of fixing. Everyone should have equal opportunity to our backyard and just over 50 years ago Black people were not allowed to enter national parks in the USA. Starting in 1885 Indigenous people where pushed out of their territory so the Rocky Mountain National Park could be formed..(nwtrpa.org). White only signs were places at the front of parks, at picnic tables and outhouses. Not to mention these parks are all on Indigenous land.. their traditional names were taken away, white men pioneered these lands and took them as their own. If we can’t acknowledge the past we will never move forward. Sit with being uncomfortable and think about why. Is it because it’s the opposite of what you learned? We have a long ways to go but we won’t get there if we don’t have uncomfortable conversations. So what can you do? 1. Acknowledge accurate history and learn about colonialism. 2. Know it’s ok to talk about race. 3. Don’t gatekeep the outdoors. 4. Don’t judge people if they don’t have brand new gear. That’s your privilege showing. 5. Stand up if you hear someone being racist outdoors. 6. Support organizations like Black Outdoors, Black Canada Hike, or programs that support Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge to youth like @jprforest. 7. If you are going on an adventure where you need a guide (fishing tour, backcountry guide etc) find a company that is BIPOC ran or owned. 8. Listen I was just going to post these photos with a cute caption but I woke up today and chose educationI hope you are inspired, hopeful and optimistic of the future because I am.

A weekend getaway was exactly what I needed. Hiked the summit of Mt Greenbury that overlooks Barkerville on one side and Bowron Lake on the other. Stayed the night in the Murray cabin (you have to book it to stay the night) and popped in to Barkerville to visit the lovely @newjillenium on our way home. I can’t wait to post all the photos from the trip. I have so many amazing videos of Eric hitting jumps on his backcountry skis! Stay tuned!

THIS IS SO EXCITING! https://canada-info.ca//unbc-student-groups-advocate-for/

Wanna come to my photoshoot!? Sunday was SOOO fun with @pearlloerkephotography and @theresabeautypg and I am so excited to get the pictures back! Let’s say it again for those in the back- let politicians be normal people- what we do on our own time doesn’t dictate our ability to represent. We shouldn’t have to hide things that make us excited like this because of a fear we will be called unprofessional. Looks do NOT matter and pretty privilege is a thing in politics. Someone once told me, you’re pretty so you will do well in politics.... internalized misogyny at its finest coming from a woman. We need to change the way we do politics. And this is one thing that needs changing.