Keyword Adaptation

Montana First Nation is located in what was once rich oil and gas country in central Alberta. But as the oil wells began to dry up, the small community was faced with the enormous challenge of finding new employment for many of their members who landed out of work.

The Métis are a distinct Indigenous people who have deep connections with the land, rivers, and lakes across the northern plains – now the area of western Canada – where the Métis Nation began to flourish in the 19th century. Beginning with their involvement in the fur trade and buffalo economy, the Métis Nation has long-term cultural and environmental knowledge regarding the changes taking place across their homeland.[1]

Owning over half of the aging public infrastructure in Canada, municipalities are facing some of the biggest challenges they’ve ever seen as a result of climate change. Creating plans to adapt to climate impacts is complex and uncharted territory for many municipal staff, councillors, residents, and community leaders. In this video, urban, rural, and Indigenous communities in the Prairies share their unique approaches, successes, and lessons learned in prioritizing risks and preparing for the changes to come.

When you think about dangerous animals, big or poisonous creatures probably come to mind. But in fact, mosquitoes are one of the most deadly animals in the world.[1] That’s because mosquitoes can transmit a range of diseases which are of major public health concern globally.

84-year-old Daniel Claypool worked in Alberta’s oil and gas industry for over forty years. Now, he’s at the forefront of the energy transition, and is spearheading an innovative project that will convert a decommissioned oil and gas well to produce geothermal energy. Claypool’s work shows that Alberta’s rich history - as an energy producing province - can play an important role in bridging to a sustainable future.

When it comes to agriculture and climate change, grapes are an early indicator. In Ontario’s Niagara-on-the-Lake wine region, severe weather and Polar Vortex cold snaps threaten this nine-billion-dollar industry. New technologies and an innovative collaboration between industry, research scientists and wind machines, ensures wineries like Pillitery Estates can keep one step ahead of the changing climate. Not only are they adapting but they’re buffering their risk by storing double the inventory. Planning for next year, but also future generations. Cheers to that.

LUFA farms in Montreal have built the world’s first commercial rooftop greenhouse and they’re changing the way the city eats. Their online market currently feeds 1% of Montreal’s population, with an on-demand system that has virtually no food waste. Using escaped heat from the building below and delivering fresh harvested food by electric car, LUFA are at the forefront of alternative food systems.

In oil-rich Oxbow, Saskatchewan, 101-year-old retired farmer, Frank Cushon has been watching the weather. He says it’s been warming and farmers have to adapt. Observing how soil and crops are affected by conventional farming practices and the variable weather, Frank’s son Ian has converted 4400 cultivated acres to organic on their third-generation family farm. They’re continually learning to improve farming practices and find ways to use less fossil fuels. The Cushon’s goal is to reduce their impact to keep the land sustainable for many more generations.

Wind-swept, remote, and jaw-droppingly beautiful. These are Quebec’s Îles-de-la-Madeleine. A narrow archipelago, surrounded on all sides by the unpredictable waters of the Gulf of St Lawrence, the islands are home to just under 13,000 souls who live mainly from fishing and tourism. Like many small islands around the globe, the consequences of climate change are altering life here dramatically. Islanders are coming together to grapple with this reality and find local solutions, and are asking hard questions about the future.