In July 2022, City Council approved Burlington’s first climate adaptation plan called Climate Resilient Burlington (CRB): A Plan for Adapting to Our Warmer, Wetter and Wilder Weather. The CRB plan is separate but complimentary to the City’s Climate Action Plan which is focused on reducing our community’s greenhouse gas emissions primarily from the use of fossil fuels in our buildings and transportation sectors. Recognizing that climate change is already upon us, the CRB plan focuses on where the City can take a lead or play a significant role in managing the highest risks associated with our warmer, wetter and wilder weather.
CRB Action Plan Implementation Highlights
In June 2023, the first annual progress update on the CRB plan was presented. Some highlights include:
- Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System – restoration project funding approved at City View Park as part of the Ecological Corridors Pilot Program.
- An ecosystem valuation project of the Cootes to Escarpment partner owned properties estimated the total value of ecosystem services provided by the properties range from $112 to $232 million per year. The services include carbon sequestration/storage, water flow management, recreation, education, biodiversity and habitat preservation, air quality and climate regulation (urban heat island reduction).
- Alert Burlington – a public notification system implemented for community emergencies.
- Climate Resilience Education campaign – promotion on how to reduce flooding risk through the Home Flood Protection Program, the Plumbing Permit Fee Grant Program and Halton Region’s Enhanced Basement Flooding Prevention Subsidy Program.
- Canadian Network of Asset Managers (CNAM) Applied Climate Action Cohort: Operationalization of Climate Change Through Asset Management – Burlington staff are participating with 12 other Canadian municipalities through a pilot program to integrate the impacts of climate hazards on community levels of service within the transportation service area.
- Forestry related initiatives included the release of Burlington’s draft Urban Forest Master Plan (UFMP) 2023-2043, the 2022 State of the Urban Forest, and Urban Forest story map; tree replacement program; and community supported planting events, third party planting, and giveaways to grow the tree canopy on private and public lands.
- East Burlington Creeks Flood Hazard Mapping – Conservation Halton presented updated mapping for Tuck, Shoreacreas, Appleby and Sheldon Creeks in June 2023.
Cost of climate change
Severe weather continues to be very costly in Canada with $3.1 billion in insured damage in 2022, the third worst year on record. The past five years (2018-2022) were all listed on Canada’s top 10 highest insured loss years on record. According to the Canadian Climate Institute, “since 2010, the costs of weather-related disasters and catastrophic events have amounted to about five to six percent of Canada’s annual GDP growth, up from an average of one percent in previous decades.”
Severe weather can also be very costly locally such as the 2013 ice storm and the 2014 flood. The May 21, 2022, derecho storm (a long-lived, fast-moving thunderstorm that causes widespread wind damage) impacted Burlington resulting in almost $500K to clean up tree debris. Burlington Hydro reported that 24,566 customers representing 35.7 percent of their total customer base were impacted by the storm taking nine hours to restore 90 percent of the customers who lost power. Additional utility companies had to be brought in to assist including North Bay Power, Canada Niagara Power and Niagara Peninsula Energy. Halton Region also provided additional waste collection services and waived the yard tipping fee to help residents clean up.
Canada’s National Adaptation Strategy and Government of Canada Adaptation Action Plan
On June 27, 2023, Canada’s National Adaptation Strategy (NAS) – Building Strong Communities and a Strong Economy was released along with some updates to the Government of Canada Adaptation Action Plan. Adapting to climate change is more economical than not adapting to climate change. The Canadian Climate Institute reported “for every $1 spent on adaptation measures today, $13-$15 will be returned in years ahead in direct and indirect benefits.” As such, when both draft plans were released on Nov. 24, 2022 for a 90 day final review, $1.6 billion in new federal funding aligned with the NAS’s five priority areas and cross-cutting initiatives was also announced.
Take Action Burlington! Our climate is changing. Let’s work together to manage the risks associated with our changing climate. Collectively we can make a difference.
Take Action Burlington 
I see no reference to the dismal progress you have made with respect to emissions reduction under your 2020 Climate Action Plan. I fear that, like so many others, you have abandoned any hope of helping to meet the emissions goals of the United Nations and Canada. Instead, you are now focussed primarily on adapting to the disastrous deterioration of our environment because nobody wants to spend the money needed to incentivize a reduction in our carbon footprint.
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Thank you for your comment. This particular blog post was about the City’s adaptation plan called Climate Resilient Burlington. The City has two other plans related to emissions reduction: the Corporate Energy and Emissions Management Plan (CEEMP) for City operations and the community Climate Action Plan. Staff provide progress updates for each plan annually to City Council with the CEEMP update in June 2023 and the CAP update in September 2023. Those reports are available at http://www.burlington.ca/climatechange. Stay tuned for an upcoming blog post regarding the CEEMP.
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