Two NOTL teenagers plan to continue holding monthly climate strikes until the town declares a climate emergency.

Hazel Norris and Molly Shara, both 13 and students at St. Michael Catholic Elementary School, plan to strike again outside of town hall on Friday.

The girls first made a stand on Oct. 18 and Shara said their parents have been “very supportive” of their action to bring more awareness to climate issues.

Norris said she hopes the town will follow the footsteps of Toronto and St. Catharines, which have declared climate emergencies.

It’s a term that makes people take notice, she said.

“The word emergency makes people think and makes them more aware of their actions. It’s important to be scared, you should be scared,” Norris said.

The girls said their plea for a climate emergency declaration comes from their fear of the future and their hope that the lord mayor and council will take the issue seriously.

“It’s important to not only know climate change is coming, but you have to actually focus on making a change. A lot of people either don’t believe in it or don’t want to believe in it,” Shara said.

“It’s not hundreds of years away – it’s happening now,” Norris added.

As for the standing outside in the cold all day on Friday, Norris said it’s a small price to pay.

“We’ll just bundle up in layers,” she said.