Vested Interests: A Climate Fashion Show
Pencil this in for spring!
Transition Kamloops, the Kamloops CanGo Grannies, and the Kamloops Naturalist Club (KNC) will jointly host a unique event this spring: models will take to the runway wearing thirty colourful felted vests displaying graphics and messaging about the effects of climate change on communities around the world.
Vested Interests: A Climate Fashion Show is a light-hearted presentation on a serious and perhaps overwhelming topic. It is meant to inspire conversations about the climate crisis and the importance of taking action—any action—for our own sakes and that of the planet.
Or as messaging on one of the garments says: When you pray, move your feet!
Ellen Monaghan, the show’s creator and narrator, is a member of the Ujamaa Grannies in Calgary, a sister group to our local CanGo Grannies. In 2025, Ellen presented the show to numerous grandmother groups* in Alberta, and, given the enthusiastic response of audiences there, she reached out to groups in BC for a tour in 2026. An overlap among members and friends of Transition Kamloops, the CanGo Grannies, and KNC and our shared concerns—severe drought, for example, is a universal challenge—made this an easy collaboration for hosting the show in Kamloops.
Getting people talking is the primary goal of the event. We’re also aiming to reach a diverse range of folks, with different concerns and opinions to share. For your information, here is a brief clip of a show co-hosted by the Mountain Grannies (Canmore) and the Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley.
Vested Interests is in the planning stage but should arrive in Kamloops in late May—more details to come. If you are interested in helping out, please contact Transition Kamloops.
*For those who are unfamiliar with the concept, “grandmother groups” across Canada raise funds to provide care and support to grandmothers, their orphaned grandchildren and grassroot community projects located in sub-Saharan African countries most impacted by HIV and AIDS. The Kamloops CanGo Grannies have been raising funds for the Stephen Lewis’ Grandmothers Campaign (https://stephenlewisfoundation.org/ ) since 2004.
Transition Kamloops
Transition Kamloops is a volunteer-driven, registered not-for-profit society focused on increasing local resilience and self-sufficiency in food, water, energy, culture and wellness. We emphasize a local economy, healthy ecosystems, and grassroots community building, while reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. We believe in a better way: a community that sustains life in all its diversity, strives for equality and justice and invests in the future.
Transition Kamloops recognizes that we are living on Secwépemcul’ecw—land that was never ceded to settlers, and continues to be home to vibrant Indigenous cultures, languages, and traditions. We acknowledge the impact of colonization, forced displacement, and ongoing struggles faced by Indigenous peoples. We commit to listening, learning, and building positive relationships with Indigenous communities as we work towards reconciliation.
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