Normally, having 10 cabinet ministers fan out to tell people you’re wrong is unhelpful. But these are not normal times. Canada is seeing things that most democracies don’t. So it was oddly reassuring for environmentalists to see ministers disagreeing with us from Newfoundland to B.C. on Monday.

I say reassuring because it wasn’t the first time environmentalists have caught cabinet’s eye lately. We’ve been called “radicals” and “adversaries” of the country. The environment minister accuses us of “money laundering.” These are not things you hear governments say about charities in democracies. They are also so bizarre that the government perhaps felt it was time to tone it down, thus the multi-minister road show.

The timing, too, was reassuring, because the ministers didn’t pick just any day. They chose Monday, when more than 500 organizations and thousands of individuals darkened their websites and spoke out.

It was Black Out Speak Out (BlackOutSpeakOut.ca). Environmentalists invited Canadians to participate and show their support for nature and democracy. They did, and a third of cabinet cancelled plans so they could respond. Read more …