Samuel Benoit

Last week I was interviewed for an article in Here Magazine about the Otesha Project cycling and performing tour we will be launching next week from Fredericton, New Brunswick.  It was written by fellow Carleton University alum Paige Aarhus and couple of minor warts aside, it’s a pretty fun article.

FREDERICTON – Be warned, New Brunswick: an army of eco-crusaders will soon breach provincial borders.

The Otesha Project is a youth-led environmental organization operating out of forward-thinking Ottawa, and they have a novel idea: why not put together a crew of 15-20 socially conscious young people, and send them across the country on bicycles to spread the message that green is good?

“We’re trying to see a change in culture that’s based less on consumption and more on community and justice,” said project director Samuel Benoit.

…

“We empower the tour members to take all of that into consideration. Say they’re going into Brooks, Alberta, which is a meat packing town; the play suggests that people eat less meat – so we leave it up to the team. If they want to change the play or adapt the message, that’s their choice,” he said.

In the case of Brooks, the team chose not to change anything – they were confident in their message, said Benoit, and no one got chased out of town by angry pitchfork-wielding townsfolk.

Click here to read the rest of it online at herenb.com.