Climate Change Planning

The Canadian Index of Wellbeing 2016 National Report – How Are Canadians Really Doing? Shows that, between 1994 and 2014 in Canada:

  • Residential use of energy has reduced by 20%, with 82% of Canadians taking measures to reduce energy consumption
  • The total land base in Canada devoted to farmland fell by 7.0%
  • Absolute Greenhouse Gas emissions increased by 11.7%, leaving Canada far from the trajectory required to reduce emissions to a rate that avoids dangerous climate change.

Source: Canadian Index of Wellbeing National Report, 2016
Retrieved from: http://www.niagaraknowledgeexchange.com/resources-publications/the-2016-canadian-index-of-wellbeing-national-report-how-are-canadians-really-doing/

Research conducted by the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation finds that Canada has significant room for improvement in the area of flood preparedness and flood risk mitigation, which is expected to have negative implications for pension funds, which carry real estate and infrastructure assets, energy stocks, and municipal bonds.

Source: Investment Review, February 3, 2017.
Retrieved from: http://www.investmentreview.com/analysis-research/canada-scores-a-c-minus-for-flood-preparedness-7421

The Transportation and Mobility Sector of this report includes information about planning for increased use of active transportation (walking, cycling, skating); public transit; and ride-sharing in the region. The 2016 Niagara Region Transportation Master Plan (TMP) Needs and Opportunities report points out the opportunity that exists for Niagara to see transportation systems as a catalyst to ‘establish leadership on climate change and environmental sustainability’.

4.1 Transportation as a Catalyst for Change

Niagara Region’s substantial growth over the next 25 years will be a major opportunity for constructive change. As new land uses develop, transportation can act as a catalyst to support a number of strategic objectives. Transportation systems will influence where people choose to live and work in the region, how business investors perceive it, and how people think about the prospect of moving there. Planning effectively for transportation can also support progress toward major goals such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving social equity and promoting healthier lifestyles. For many decades, long-range transportation plans have tended to respond to growth by proposing expanded road networks that meet rising demands in the busiest hour, but remain underused the other 23 hours of the day. For many reasons, Canadian cities are abandoning this pattern and adopting a more strategic approach to transportation. Niagara Region has the opportunity to join them.

TMP (Transportation Master Plan) modelling suggests that Niagara Region’s road network already has the capacity to handle growth to 2041 without adding or widening a lot of roads. While localized measures will be warranted to address capacity deficiencies on the QEW and in selected hotspots, the Region can focus on directing its transportation investments to create a more multimodal system that offers improved choice, reduces effort, maximizes connectivity, and makes Niagara more attractive to potential investors and residents.

environment needs

Source: Niagara Region Transportation Master Plan (TMP) Needs and Opportunities Report, August, 2016.  Retrieved From:  https://www.niagararegion.ca/2041/pdf/tmp-needs-report.pdf

The above information is also found in the Transportation and Mobility Sector of this report.

Climate Change Community Action

The Niagara Sustainability Initiative is a not-for-profit organization engaging and connecting businesses in Niagara in an effort to advance economic and environmental sustainability. They work to help businesses identify, understand and reduce their carbon footprint to become more sustainable both environmentally and economically. http://niagarasustainability.org/about/

The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) Niagara branch provides a map on their website to help motorists locate electric vehicle (EV) charging stations.  In 2017, there are more than 50 EV Charging Stations throughout Niagara, and increase from 17 such stations in 2014.   

Source:  Canadian Automobile Association (CAA)
Retrieved from:  http://www.caa.ca/evstations/

The above information is also found in the Transportation and Mobility Sector of this report.

The 2013 Niagara Region Climate Change Action Plan and Corporate Climate Change Action Plan, are available on the Niagara Region website, with an accompanying note stating that these plans are currently under review.

Source: Niagara Region
Retrieved from:  https://www.niagararegion.ca/government/planning/climate-change.aspx

Food Security in Niagara Through the Lens of Environment and Climate Impacts:
In 2015, Greening Niagara invited community partners to collaboratively examine food security in Niagara, through the lens of environment and climate impacts, with community engagement and knowledge exchange support from Niagara Connects.

Over 80 people gathered for a November, 2015 forum to learn about the future of food security in Niagara, related to environment and climate aspects. The evidence shows that access to enough (adequate) local, sustainable, healthy food is at the center of food security.

Suggested action steps arising from this collaborative work included:

  • Engage people in gathering additional information to support action planning for an urban agriculture center in Niagara.
  • Continue to connect this work with the overall work to advance a common vision for Food Systems in Niagara, facilitated by Niagara Connects.
  • Support efforts to gather additional data to describe food systems and food security in Niagara, and engage a broad range of participants to strengthen action planning.
  • Acknowledge and continue to support the value in the process of diverse players working and learning together to strengthen food security in Niagara.

Source:  Niagara Connects
Retrieved from:  

Project report (summary version) – http://www.niagaraknowledgeexchange.com/resources-publications/examining-food-security-in-niagara-through-a-lens-of-environment-and-climate-impacts-summary/

Developing an Irrigation Strategy Action Plan for Niagara:


In 2017, a number of grower organizations, working together with the Niagara Region Agricultural Policy and Action Committee were approved to receive Growing Forward 2 funding from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, to develop an Irrigation Strategy Action Plan for Niagara. The focus of this work is on farmland used for horticultural production, including grapes, tender fruit, nursery and greenhouse production, below the escarpment. It is anticipated such a strategy will strengthen farmers’ ability to respond efficiently to drought impacts so they can produce viable crops.

Source:  Niagara Region Agricultural Policy and Action Committee
Retrieved from:  https://www.niagararegion.ca/government/committees/apac/default.aspx

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