Michael Bagamery, Ana Karen Garza, Kelsey Lane, Logan Beauchamp, Mary Gholami, Keenan McCarthy, Danielle LaBrash, and Serena Bains in the Senate Chamber in Ottawa. Photo: GreenPAC
Environment
Supporting the Next Generation of Environmental Leaders
2022

Since 2018, the GreenPAC Parliamentary Internship for the Environment program has sought to equip the next generation of environmental leaders with the skills, experience, and political know-how to enact policy change. The program provides a 10-month, full-time internship for young leaders, aged 18-30, who are placed in the offices of Members of Parliament and Senators with a demonstrated track record of leadership on the environment.

Metcalf has supported the program since its inception, and over the last four years 31 interns have gained hands-on experience on Parliament Hill while providing invaluable support for current environmental champions in elected office.

The 2022/23 cohort will include a record high 10 interns placed in the offices of Conservative, Liberal, New Democrat, and Green MPs and in the Senate. Meet these young leaders and learn more about their placements below.

 
Michael Bagamery (He/Him)

Placement: Alistair MacGregor, MP for Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, British Columbia

Mike is a writer and activist from Winnipeg, Manitoba. He most looked forward to turning eighteen so he could vote. He united his political and environmental interests by earning a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in natural resource management, both from the University of Manitoba. Mike supports Manitoba’s Climate Action Team and contributed to the 2021 policy document Manitoba’s Road to Resilience.

Serena Bains (They/Them)

Placement: Matthew Green, MP for Hamilton Centre, Ontario

Serena is a Punjabi disabled queer trans femme who was born and raised in Surrey, British Columbia. Their climate justice work began at Simon Fraser University, where they worked as the Re-Use for Good Accessibility Liaison within the Sustainability Office in response to a proposed straw ban. This experience sparked Serena’s passion for initiatives at the intersection of climate and disability justice.

Logan Beauchamp (He/They)

Placement: Blake Desjarlais, MP for Edmonton Griesbach, Alberta

Logan is a Two-Spirit Métis youth and political science student from Alberta. He volunteers with We Matter as a National Ambassador of Hope which helps him engage with other Indigenous youth in his community and around the country. Logan aspires to become a lawyer with specializations in Environmental, Aboriginal, and Constitutional Law so that he can help Indigenous peoples in affirming their rights and land claims.

Ana Karen Garza (She/Her)

Placement: TBD

Ana Karen Garza holds a BSc in Environmental Science, Political Science, and Environmental Studies. Growing up in two beautifully diverse countries, Ana Karen developed an interest in studying the effects that negative human impacts have had on the environment, such as unchecked urban sprawl in her native city of Monterrey, Mexico, and the rise of invasive species threatening the delicate Great Lakes in Ontario.

Mary Gholami (She/Her)

Placement: Dan Mazier, MP for Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, Manitoba

Mary’s passions lie within the topic of sustainability and the role women can play in tackling climate change. She has worked on projects focused on intersectionality and gender equality in the field of renewable energy. Mary is currently pursuing a degree in Agricultural and Resource Economics along with a Certificate in Sustainability at the University of Alberta.

Benjamin Liao Gormley (He/Him)

Placement: The Hon. Mary Coyle, Senator

Ben holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto, where he studied International Relations and Environmental Science. His strong personal relationship to the land — developed over years of nature walks, gardening and rock climbing — motivates him to act now so the next generation will also benefit from a beautiful, livable planet.

Danielle LaBrash (She/Her)

Placement: The Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, MP for North Vancouver, British Columbia

Danielle’s passion for environmental policy is built on her dedication to social justice, equity, and community health. She has several years of experience in advocacy and front-line community work in Northern and Prairie provinces. While working with Northern Indigenous communities, Danielle realized the extent to which climate change was at the root of the social issues she was working to address and reoriented her work to focus on climate justice.

Kelsey Lane (She/Her)

Placement: Peter Schiefke, MP for Vaudreuil—Soulanges, Quebec

Kelsey Lane is passionate about climate policy and is eager to evolve systems to be as swift, effective, and equitable as the action needed to address the climate crisis. She has worked for NGOs worldwide on business development, education, and public outreach including as a Senior Climate Policy Coordinator with Ecology Action Centre and as the Executive Director of Halifax Cycling Coalition.

Sophia Lindfield (She/Her)

Placement: Mike Morrice, MP for Kitchener Centre, Ontario & Elizabeth May, MP for Saanich—Gulf Islands, British Columbia

Sophia Lindfield grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia, located on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people. She is in her second year of a Bachelor of Political Science and Environmental Sustainability at Dalhousie University and holds a certificate in Circular Economics and Business.

Keenan McCarthy (He/Him)

Placement: Julie Dabrusin, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, MP for Toronto—Danforth, Ontario

Keenan grew up in Surrey, British Columbia, completing a Bachelor of Political Science and History at Simon Fraser University. Keenan is particularly interested in the events and systems that have contributed to the fragmentation of the Métis community. As such, he has been particularly keen to explore his own heritage, reclaim his culture and foster a sense of community in Surrey.

Visit the GreenPAC website for more information about the program and this year’s interns. Alongside Metcalf support, the GreenPAC Parliamentary Internship for the Environment program — delivered in partnership with the Sustainability Network — receives funding from other foundations including Catherine Donnelly, Echo, Ivey, McCall MacBain, McLean, North Family, and Trottier.