About Us
We, women of a certain age, have the benefit of life experience and the time to get things done. We can be advocates for the common good: activists for a sustainable world.
GASPs want to model themselves on our indigenous grandmother sisters, the ‘wisdom carriers’, the elders, who look out for the best interests of the next 7 generations.
It is our generation that has polluted the planet for our convenience and our greed. Our grandchildren will pay the price. They will certainly ask “What did you do, Grandma, when you knew?”
We have an emergency! GASP wants drastic immediate action. Partisan politics must take a back seat to our survival.
Introductory Video
Our Co-chairs made a video in March, 2022 that tells our story. Let us introduce you to GASP – watch our video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eODbBxjc6iI
Who we are
Grand(m)others Act to Save the Planet (GASP) is a grass-roots non-partisan community group committed to climate action and advocacy.
Scientific evidence confirms that climate change is happening and that we humans, mainly in developed countries, are causing it. We’re putting everything we love – including kids and grandkids and virtually all life on this beautiful planet – at grave risk by continuing to burn climate-warming fossil fuels.
“We also have the know-how to create a whole new green economy, already offering a promising glimpse of our future. But – the biggest question of all – do we have the guts and gumption to make sure it happens?” Liz Armstrong, GASP member
What we do
We are committed to social and climate justice. To achieve our goals we:
- advocate at all levels of government
- educate ourselves and key stakeholders
- write letters, op-eds, briefs and make deputations in person
- join community activists in rallies, petitions, and meetings with politicians
- unite with youth/Indigenous peoples in support of climate and social justice
“Just remember that every day you live, you make an impact on the planet. You have a choice as to what sort of impact you make. When we are more affluent, we have a greater choice. And if we all make ethical choices, then we start moving towards a world that will be not quite so desperate to leave to our great-grandchildren.” Jane Goodall
Why
GASP believes grandmothers and grandkids have a unique voice. We join voices in unison with our grandchildren for a sustainable future. GASP believes everyone must coalesce on the most critical urgent challenge of our lifetime. For seniors, leaving a green legacy for the next generation is a compelling call to action.
How We Work
GASP gives voice to a wide variety of issues relating to social and climate justice. Members are invited to take leadership roles on issues that are of particular concern to them. We see ourselves as nimble and quick activists. Our structure is very simple:
GASP Co-Chairs: Carole Holmes and Lorraine Green are the founding co-chairs of GASP. We now have four co-chairs with the addition of Louise Brownlee in 2023 and Victoria Creese in 2025.
Through consensus, the co-chairs provide leadership and coordination to members for advocacy, action and awareness of the Climate Crisis. They can be reached by emailing info@gasp4change.org.
focused on reaching out to banks through meetings, letter and post card initiatives, encouraging the switching of personal bank business to more climate friendly
institutions and participating in rallies against banks. The team then moved to shareholder action: co-signing on a shareholder proposal, providing proxies to
indigenous activists and encouraging shareholder voting. Currently the bank team is centred on financial regulation. We are supporting CAFA – Climate-Aligned Finance Act as proposed by Senator Rosa Galvez.
Basic Income Team
Our mandate is to educate and promote the benefits of basic income to all Canadian politicians and citizens. Sheila Regehr (Basic Income Canada Network)
was the lead at the May 20-2024 Conference. She made the connection between income inequality and Climate Change. Members of this team are volunteering at the Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN) Conference on August 19 – 24, 2026 in Toronto.
Education Team
The Education Team educates themselves, GASP members, and the wider community on issues related to climate change. Our areas of study are chosen
by the interests of Team members. In 2024-25, we focused on how food choices and food waste impact affect climate change.
Health Team
The Health Team studies the impact of climate change on human health and shares findings with members and other groups. A major focus has been on the topic of air pollution since it’s the single largest environmental threat to human health and well-being.
Ontario Watch Team
The Ontario Watch Team monitors legislation at the municipal and provincial level. We promote Nature-positive, sustainable policies that protect nature including endangered species, the Greenbelt, smart land use, public transit and renewable energy. We protest policies that are motivated by short-term profit.
Pension Team
We strongly encourage the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan to publish credible net-zero plans that include measures to mitigate climate risk and establish interim
emission targets and rules to prevent greenwashing. We attend attending online SHIFT meetings. Shift: Action for Pension Wealth and Planet Health is a charitable initiative that
works to protect pensioners and the climate by bringing together beneficiaries and
their pension plans on the climate crisis.
Social Media Team
Chair Michelle Tom
Members: Sherry Ardell, Louise Brownlee, Bev Lefrancois, Lisa Kohler, Nancy Hurst, Carole Holmes, Lorraine Green, Tina Agrell, Irene Clarke, Chris Hitchcock, Kathy Mason, Norma Gamble, Martha Howatt, Lilly Noble, Elaine Hanson, Liz Armstrong
Transition Team
Chair Hart Jansson
Members: Chris Hitchcock, Louise Brownlee, Ron McKee, Pat Lockhart.
The GASP Backstory
Our history makes us who we are today. Our founders, Carole Holmes and Lorraine Green, wrote the story of the three-year journey that led to the formation of GASP in May 2019. Read More
GASP Year One – May 2019 to 2020
What did GASP accomplish?
- we learned the climate science
- made personal climate action commitments
- created our name, logo and branding
- built a Green Network
- set up our communications team – website and social media
- took political action and proposed a survival cabinet
- GASP was awarded the YWCA Peace Award
- participated in municipal budget meetings
- recommended a climate lens for Ontario’s environmental plan
- supported Wellington Water Watchers and Save Our Water
- committed to a Just Transition
- established a Basic Income team
- established a Bank team to end fossil fuel industry financing
- advocated to support Ontario’s Environmental Bill of Rights
- advocated to support the Black Lives Matter movement
To read the full story of Year One