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Kelowna  

Anti GMO rally

Hundreds marched along Harvey Avenue and Protest Bridge Saturday, to call for a boycott of genetically modified food.

Residents from Kelowna, Penticton, Cherryville and other Okanagan areas joined forces for the annual March Against Monsanto, at Parkinson Rec Centre.

The march is calling for the permanent boycott of genetically modified organisms, genetically engineered foods and other chemicals used in food production, which they say could be harmful to human health today and in future generations.

At the very least, this group wants to see these foods labeled in grocery stores, which Canada does not currently require.

“Today the world is united against Monsanto,” yelled Kelowna march organizer Lori Timbol to the crowd.

“My reason for organizing this march is because I am a mother and I am concerned about the food I will be leaving to my children,” says Timbol. “There is no clear consensus on the safety of GMOs and the products used to grow these crops.”

Timbol shared a list of countries with GMO restrictions or labeling requirements; changes happening worldwide that some in the group are angry are still missing in Canada.

The march had a large turnout with families and individuals of all backgrounds and ages holding hand-made signs and chanting.

In fact, Bertha, one of the marchers, is 97 years old and has attended the march for three years now.

As the group walked over and took up most of protest bridge, they garnered support from those driving by with dozens of honks.

Timbol and the Kelowna group had the support of Kevin Proteau and Locals Supporting Locals from Penticton.

“We have more power individually and collectively then we realize,” says Proteau. “At the end of the day it is very important where you put your dollar. We can cripple some of these mega corporations overnight if we just changed our habits.”

The Okanagan-based march also had a specific local target in the Summerland Arctic Apple.

The goal, according to Proteau, is to get the message out that citizens of the Okanagan do not support a GMO non-browning apple or GMOs in general.

The newly approved GMO Arctic apple, developed in Summerland by Okanagan Specialty Tree Fruits and recently purchased by Intrexon Corp, is the first genetically modified fruit approved in Canada.

“Save our seeds, bees, salmon, and march for food security and environmental health for our future generations and wildlife,” writes the group on Facebook, “Bee the change.”



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