The International Day of Climate Action rally Saturday in New York's Times Square. (Tina Fineberg/Associated Press)

Concerned citizens in Saskatoon, Winnipeg and elsewhere in Western Canada gathered Saturday for rallies to promote action on climate change.

In Saskatoon the event, held in a downtown park, attracted more than 100 people.

The Winnipeg gathering, on the grounds of the Manitoba legislature, also drew about 100 people.

"The intent of today is to raise awareness, to send messages to governments," Alina Siegfried, a spokeswoman for the Saskatchewan Environmental Society, told CBC News.

"The timing of the event today is such that we are six weeks out from the beginning of the climate change UN negotiations in Copenhagen, Denmark, which is where world leaders will be meeting to come up with another treaty to succeed the Kyoto protocol."

The group in Saskatoon formed a human hourglass in the park to symbolize time running out to save the environment.

They marched through the downtown area and wrapped up their event with an Eco-Fair at the farmer's market.

In Winnipeg, participants heard speakers talk about the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A march was also planned.

Hundreds of similar rallies were organized around the world.