Keyword Adaptation

Roy McLaren has a lifetime of farming experience: he’s farmed in southwest Manitoba for over 70 years. He looks at the Climate Atlas maps of climate projections with concern. “That is pretty bad,” he says, looking at maps showing a huge increase in very hot weather. “With that kind of heat,” McLaren muses, “we’d have to change our farming methods. We’d have to adopt new crops.”   Recommended Video Citation Climate Atlas of Canada. (2018). Roy McLaren: 70 Years of Farming Experience. Prairie Climate Centre. https://climateatlas.ca/video/roy-mclaren

Near the end of the century, the City of Toronto could experience nearly two months of +30 °C days a year, according to climate projections. To address the growing risk of future heat waves, local faith leaders have created a network of cooling centres in churches, mosques, temples and synagogues, and are mobilizing their congregations to provide support for susceptible populations. For City Councillor Gord Perks, this example of grassroots community resilience makes him hopeful about the future.   Recommended Video Citation Climate Atlas of Canada. (2018). Heat Waves and Hope: Faith communities providing solutions to the climate challenge. Prairie Climate Centre. https://climateatlas.ca/video/heat-waves-and-hope

Many citizens of Thunder Bay have an important connection with Lake Superior, which will be impacted by climate change. To mitigate these effects, the local non-profit EcoSuperior and the City of Thunder Bay are encouraging active transportation, local food production, and waste reduction. Citizens are also working together to build resiliency in their neighbourhoods.   Recommended Video Citation Climate Atlas of Canada. (2018). Thunder Bay and Climate Change: Supporting mitigation to protect Lake Superior. Prairie Climate Centre. https://climateatlas.ca/video/thunder-bay-and-climate-change

After a 1-in-100 year storm flooded Truro, Nova Scotia under five feet of water, the conversation around town shifted to questions about the future. What’s clear to local residents is that climate change is bringing higher tides, stronger winds and flooding, leaving more and more people shouldering the costs and risks.   Recommended Video Citation Climate Atlas of Canada. (2018). Storms of the future: Shouldering the risks of climate change. Prairie Climate Centre. https://climateatlas.ca/video/storms-future

After a series of stronger-than-normal storms knocked out their main breakwater, the small town of Ferryland Newfoundland was left with no choice but to heavily invest in shoreline protection. Now, members of the community are left wondering whether the rising costs of living by the sea are sustainable for future generations.   Recommended Video Citation Climate Atlas of Canada. (2018). Ferryland, Newfoundland: Small towns vs sea level rise. Prairie Climate Centre. https://climateatlas.ca/video/ferryland-newfoundland

Indian Island First Nation is on a peninsula surrounded by water. Through a combination of traditional knowledge and scientific studies, it became clear to Chief Ken Barlow that his community would be underwater by 2100. Barlow and his community are in a race against time to protect homes, raise roads, and potentially even relocate the graves of their ancestors.   Recommended Video Citation Climate Atlas of Canada. (2018). Indian Island, New Brunswick: Adapting to sea level rise. Prairie Climate Centre. https://climateatlas.ca/video/indian-island-new-brunswick

The climate determines almost everything about how we design, build, and live in our cities. The streets and sidewalks, businesses and homes, parking lots and public transit that we use every day have been created to suit our climate. Now, with our climate changing, we need to re-think important aspects of how we live our urban lives.

“I don’t think any of us ever thought we’d use the words ‘heat wave’ and ‘Vancouver’ in the same sentence”, says Vancouver city councillor Andrea Reimer, “but now it’s something we not only have to expect but that we’re experiencing right now.”

Climate change is a large-scale problem, but it’s also a direct result of our collective choices and actions. That means we can make a difference. But how? We’ve been told for years to take environmental and climate action as individuals. Things like upgrading our home insulation, riding our bikes and taking public transit are important, but these small-scale personal choices take place in a wider world. Our social, political, and economic systems also have a responsibility to tackle the climate challenge head on.

Today, over 80% of Canada’s population lives in cities. We know that cities will soon face increased climate change impacts, such as more frequent and intense extreme weather events.  The research series Building a Climate-Resilient City by the Prairie Climate Centre outlines policy steps that cities can take to engage in climate risk management in a range of areas, including transportation, agriculture, electricity infrastructure, disaster preparedness and emergency management.