Georgian Bluffs wants to hear from residents regarding its Corporate Climate Action Plan.
Acting CAO and Director of Community and Environmental Services Niall Lobley says there's a very clear goal behind the plan.
"Really the intention of the Corporate Climate Action Plan is to highlight what the municipality wants to do to try and address climate change. So what can we do as an operating municipality serving our residents to really lower our impact on the environment? Hopefully, we can try to limit our contribution toward climate change, so that's really what it's all about," Lobley shared.
Part of the plan, as Lobley explains, involves doing things in the future to help prepare infrastructure to deal with climate change effects.
"Some of those are really small things like our building fabric envelope. So making sure that we're building our buildings to tolerate intense rainfall events or endure high flood events. So looking at our infrastructure in terms of our buildings to make sure they're ready. Looking at things like air conditioning and heating systems and insulation, to make sure our buildings are equipped to deliver the services they do today," noted Lobley.
Climate change effects are already being seen on local infrastructure not just in Georgian Bluffs, but everywhere. Lobley says part of that future preparation is ensuring staff can meet those challenges.
"Making sure we've got the right equipment and the right staff to respond to those processes and have the right emergency response in place, so that we're able to respond when we get one of those really intense summer events with high winds and strong rain, as an example," Lobley said. "So planning for the operations and maintenance of that, planning for new infrastructure, with a mindset on how the climate is going to look perhaps in the next 5, 10, 15, 20 years, based on the models that are coming out. Those show that those 1 in 2 year storm events are more frequent, the 1 in 10, 1 in 20 year storm events, we're going to see those more frequently."
Lobley adds there is funding available to help with that from the provincial and federal government, which already requires a more climate friendly approach.
"All of those funds are tied to improvements in climate change and how we respond to climate change in our municipality. So for example, you can't build a new building with provincial or federal finding now that doesn't meet net zero requirements, as an example. So a lot of that funding actually has the requirements for addressing environments and addressing climate change built right into it," Lobley noted.
Lobley says residents can offer up ideas and opinions on the plan by visiting EngageGB.ca and taking the survey. They're also hosting an in-person event.
"The other thing is, we're organizing an in-person consultation and engagement event, where people can bring their ideas, find out more about the plan, and share their thoughts on it. That will be on August 24 at the Grey Roots Museum," Lobley added.
For more information, contact Niall Lobley, Director of Community Services at 519-376-2729 ext. 505, or nlobley@georgianbluffs.ca.
