Ontario and Quebec cities, towns sign climate change covenant
Municipalities want funding for infrastructure that can withstand extreme weather
Ontario and Quebec cities will share their best ideas for dealing with climate change and champion the role cities can play, even if a new agreement between their two associations doesn't offer specific targets.
The "climate change action covenant" signed Nov. 25 in Ottawa between the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and the Union of Quebec Municipalities also urges upper levels of government to invest in infrastructure such as storm water management systems and public transit, which need bolstering as the climate changes and emissions need to be curbed.
Municipalities have long been on the front lines of the battle against climate change, said Gary McNamara, the president of AMO and mayor of Tecumseh, Ont.
The province of Ontario or the province of Quebec, or the country, cannot do it alone, cannot meet their goals without the partnership that the municipalities are going to bring to the table.- Association of Municipalities of Ontario president Gary McNamara
The association highlighted some initiatives, such as in Brockville, Ont., where the city has installed solar panels on an arena to save energy and costs. Thunder Bay is developing a strategy to adapt to climate change,
"The province of Ontario or the province of Quebec, or the country, cannot do it alone, cannot meet their goals without the partnership that the municipalities are going to bring to the table," said McNamara.
Infrastructure
A big part of the agreement is to push upper levels of government for infrastructure money, something cities have been doing for years,
"This is a critical juncture in time and we have to deal with it today," said McNamara.
The infrastructure required for the coming decades will need to withstand more than it has in the past. The mayor of Burlington, Ont., Rick Goldring, has seen his own basement flood.
"The reality is that the temperatures and the weather are only going to get more extreme, warmer weather and wilder weather, no matter what we do on the mitigation side," said Goldring.
He said the focus needs to be as much on adapting to a new normal as it is to mitigating the effects of climate change. "We need some targeted infrastructure investment into storm water management across the country."
The mayor of Gatineau, Que. called the agreement "historic." Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin said he hopes municipalities can influence federal and provincial climate change programs. He said he'll be looking to try out new technologies and policies employed in other jurisdictions.
"That collaboration for one of the most important issues of this century I think will be fruitful," said Pedneaud-Jobin.