Latest news with #IntactCentre
CTV News
05-08-2025
- General
- CTV News
Expert warns severe wildfires could become the new normal without climate action
Watch Intact Centre on Climate Adaption manager Anabela Bonada on what's driving severe wildfires and their impact on indigenous communities.
CBC
08-07-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Is Canada prepared for floods like the one that happened in Texas?
Social Sharing Last Friday's major flooding event in Texas, which killed 89 people including numerous children, has shattered local communities. Questions abound about whether adequate warnings were provided to the residents and campgoers, and if more could have been done to prevent such a tragic loss of lives. And now, some may be turning an eye closer to home, asking whether Canada is prepared for such an extreme weather event. The answer is yes … and no, according to some experts. "Canada's in a very good position, in the sense that we have actually done a lot of research to understand what we need to be doing at the level of homes and communities to reduce extreme weather risk, such as flooding," said Kathryn Bakos, managing director of finance and resilience at the University of Waterloo's Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation. "The problem — and where Canada falls short — is actually the implementation of those actions. And so there's a lot that we know we should be doing, and yet, for various reasons, we are not." WATCH | Time-lapse footage shows waters rising over Texas causeway: Time-lapse footage shows waters rising over Texas causeway 20 hours ago Duration 0:30 Time-lapse video provided to Reuters by a witness shows floodwaters rising on July 4 in Kingsland, Texas, as part of the state endured devastating flash flooding. Flood-risk maps One of the ways in which Canada isn't prepared is that most flood-risk maps are out of date, with some being decades old. And Canada is no stranger to flood events. In June 2013, a major flood in Calgary from the Bow River overflowing its banks caused an estimated $6 billion in financial and property losses. Five people died. It was one of the costliest weather events in Canadian history. Weeks later, Toronto experienced a major rainfall event that prompted flooding throughout the city. In just 90 minutes, it received 126 millimetres of rain — more than a month's worth — causing the Don River to overflow onto the Don Valley Parkway, the main north-south thoroughfare into the city. On the other side of the river, a commuter train was trapped with hundreds of people on board for roughly seven hours. The incident cost the city $1 billion in damages. With climate change, there's also more evidence that much of Canada will experience an increase of heavy precipitation. "We need to be taking into consideration the the changing and evolving nature of our environment due to climate change," Bakos said. "There are going to be escalating extreme weather risks as we go forward, due to flooding, wildfire risk [and] extreme heat risk in the system." The good news is that last month the federal government announced that it will be investing in flood mapping and adaptation projects. Outdated maps Walter Regan, former president of the Sackville Rivers Association in Nova Scotia, had advocated for 37 years for an updated flood plain map from the town. These maps show areas that are at risk of flooding. It finally happened last year. This is the third version of the map, Regan said. But there is one downside. "Unfortunately, it does not do the entire Sackville River. It just says a portion of it. But that's major progress, and also this time around … they use climate change models to reflect the potential flooding." In 2023, Halifax experienced one of the worst flooding events in its history. On July 21, more than 250 millimetres of rain fell in just 24 hours. While no one died in the city, four people were killed in nearby West Hants and a state of emergency was declared. Regan said that the flood maps were roughly 95 per cent accurate. WATCH | Emergency alerts delayed by almost 2 hours in N.S. fatal 2023 floods, report finds: Emergency alerts delayed by almost 2 hours in N.S. fatal 2023 floods, report finds 1 year ago Duration 2:08 A new report on last year's fatal flash flooding in Nova Scotia finds that the emergency public alert system was delayed by nearly two hours. The parents of one child who died say this tragedy could have been avoided if better systems were in place. Why was he so adamant that the maps be updated? "We have car seats for children. We have hard hats for workers.... The flood plain zoning is a public protection measure that's cost-effective and long overdue," he said. "The province should take the lead and protect the citizenry. That's good governance." Bakos said it's important to bring flood-risk maps up to date across the entire country. "On average, across Canada, flood-risk maps are 20 to 25 years out of date. Those flood-risk maps are going to be able to help us identify where there is the greatest risk in the system," she said. And once we've identified the risks, she said, we need to implement flood control systems such as dams, diversion channels and holding ponds. When it comes to urban environments, she says we need to complement grey infrastructure — like sidewalks — with green infrastructure like grasslands and forested areas. No flash flood warning system While Environment and Climate Change Canada issues weather watches and warnings for things like tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and rainfall, it doesn't for floods — that's under provincial jurisdiction, says Dave Sills. "So the federal government isn't allowed to issue a flash flood watch or warning. They issue a heavy rain warning instead," says Sills, who is the deputy director of the new Canadian Severe Storms Laboratory at Western University in London, Ont. Should there be a national flood alert system? "It's hard to say, because it's something that's needed and ... possible, but it would take someone to really push hard for it to happen," he said. "You know, like in Ontario, we have air quality warnings that are issued jointly by Environment Canada and the province. And that's the same kind of thing that's needed.
CBC
06-06-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Toronto's getting hotter. Experts say a chief heat officer could help the city adapt
Social Sharing As Toronto braces for another hotter than usual summer, some climate policy experts and advocates say a chief heat officer could help the city adapt to extreme temperatures faster. Municipalities around the world are appointing a central person to lead heat resilience teams, which are task forces responsible for developing and overseeing heat management and adaptation solutions. Miami, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Athens and Melbourne are among the cities that already have a chief heat officer, says Caroline Metz, managing director of climate resilience and health at the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo. "Cities are prioritizing heat as a threat," she told CBC Toronto. "They're investing in a more climate resilient future, looking to protect health and wellness, and reduce losses — loss of lives, loss of livelihoods." Toronto summers may not hit the same high temperature as Miami, but climate change is heating up the city fast. A report by the Climate Resilience and Health at the Intact Centre found that Toronto could experience up to 55 days of temperatures above 30 C by 2051. That's up from the current 12 days of extra hot weather and doesn't factor in the urban heat island effect within cities, meaning the way concrete, asphalt and other dark materials intensify heat. Plus, days are already getting hotter. There's an 80 per cent probability that the next three months in Toronto are on track to be hotter than in past years, according to national temperature forecasts. Designating a single entity to take care of heat management would "break down the silos" and co-ordinate communities, government agencies and the private sector, Metz said, even in a city like Toronto, which is considered a leader on climate issues. WATCH | Projections show frequency of extreme heat events will grow: Canadians must prepare better for future extreme heat events, report warns 3 years ago Duration 2:23 Researchers with the University of Waterloo published a new report warning that Canadians must act now to adapt to climate change, as projections show a future filled with extreme heat events. "Heat is one of the most challenging climate hazards," she said. "We've got to think about this in terms of how it affects people, their health, how they live and work." In an email, Los Angeles' Chief Heat Officer Marta Segura told CBC Toronto that her office's main focus is to create the city's first heat action resilience plan and that they work "behind the scenes" to provide greater accountability and support across all departments addressing extreme heat awareness. "These efforts help to cool the city, fostering social cohesion and community well-being," she said. Toronto behind on building resilience, advocate says Right now in Toronto, 15 different municipal departments and agencies play a role in heat management, including Toronto Public Health, Toronto Emergency Management, Environment, Climate and Forestry, as well as Shelter and Support Services, according to the city's heat relief strategy. The document outlines tools and programs geared at keeping residents safe, including cooling centres, street outreach and public messaging. Other initiatives include the city's recently launched air conditioner assistance program pilot project for low-income seniors and efforts to expand tree canopy coverage. Still, Toronto is behind on heat adaptation, says Lyn Adamson, co-chair of the Ontario Climate Emergency Campaign. "Heat is really that big of an issue," Adamson said, recalling the heat dome over Vancouver in 2021 that resulted in the deaths of over 600 people, most of them seniors who were living alone. "That was a lack of preparation and it took Vancouver by surprise — it should not take any other city by surprise," she said. A spokesperson for the city manager's office said in an email that the heat relief strategy doesn't include plans to hire a chief heat officer. A way to validate problem and track data Toronto did have a chief resilience officer not long ago — a position funded from 2017 to 2019 by a donation from the Rockefeller Foundation. It led to the city's first resilience strategy, aimed at addressing climate change and poverty. That strategy notes that many low-income Torontonians live in older apartment towers in dire need of retrofit repairs to deal with extreme weather. Appointing a chief heat officer would restore the city's commitment to adaptation and finally give heat management the profile and validity it needs, Adamson says. "This is a health protection measure that we need to take," she said. Another benefit of the position would be better data collection, says Warren Mabee, director of the Queen's Institute for Energy and Environmental Policy at Queen's University. "We don't have good data on how many people are actually being affected by heat. We don't have good data on workplace accidents," he said. "Pulling together that data and analyzing that data is a full time job and somebody needs to take that on." However, a single leadership position wouldn't be enough by itself, says Emmay Mah, executive director of the Toronto Environmental Alliance. "We really need multiple dedicated positions and resources across divisions. We know that the city is working on it," she said. "It in terms of having a senior position ... it can't be a ceremonial thing. It's really a matter of life and death for some residents."
