Keyword Transportation

Canada has some of the cleanest air on the planet.[1] But the truth is, many Canadians—especially in urban centres—are finding it more difficult to breathe easy. For example, instead of fresh spring air, the first day of Toronto’s 2019 spring break arrived with an air quality warning thanks to high levels of air pollution. In 2023, waves of air pollution passed through Canada during the summer surge of wildfires - impacting the health of many residents in large Canadian cities.[2][14]

The Meechim project follows the story of Garden Hill First Nation – a northern Manitoba community that is only accessible via air and ice roads – and its journey to build a self-sustaining farm. Through a combination of both Indigenous and farm knowledge, the community’s efforts to attain food sovereignty show that climate resilience can lead to better social, economic, health and environmental outcomes for all.   Recommended Video Citation Climate Atlas of Canada. (2018). Meechim Project: Food Sovereignty in northern Manitoba. Prairie Climate Centre. https://climateatlas.ca/video/meechim-project

Ice roads are critical for many communities – especially Indigenous ones – living in remote regions in northern Canada. These cold weather dependent routes allow essential supplies – including food and building materials – to be trucked in at a lower cost than by plane. However, in a warming climate, these connections are literally melting away.   Recommended Video Citation Climate Atlas of Canada. (2018). Northern Manitoba: Winter Roads in a Warming Climate. Prairie Climate Centre. https://climateatlas.ca/video/northern-manitoba

In 2009, Vancouver announced that it wanted to become the “Greenest City in the World by 2020”. Their action plan hopes to wean the city off fossil fuels and prioritizes pedestrians, bikes and transit when planning neighborhoods. As a result, Vancouver now has the lowest carbon emissions of any city in North America.   Recommended Video Citation Climate Atlas of Canada. (2018). Vancouver: "Greenest City in the World by 2020”. Prairie Climate Centre. https://climateatlas.ca/video/vancouver

An energy revolution is hitting the town of Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia. New 800 kW wind turbines are popping up everywhere, transforming the ever-present wind into electricity that’s used to power electric cars and offset the community’s reliance on fossil fuels. The move to renewable energy isn’t just reducing the community’s impact on the climate, it’s also sparking a whole new green economy.   Recommended Video Citation Climate Atlas of Canada. (2018). The wind-powered green economy: Mitigating climate change on the East Coast. Prairie Climate Centre. https://climateatlas.ca/video/wind-powered-green-economy