Potholes, insects, cracked foundations: Montreal prepares for climate change

Deeper and scarier potholes, new insect infestations and cracked house foundations are some of the future problems Montrealers may have to grapple with due to climate change.

• Montreal to tackle climate change over 5 years

Montreal bureaucrats issueda five-year planthis week to preparefordroughts, floods and heat waves that could come as a result of new weather patterns.

New rules may need tobe enacted tocompelhomebuilders to constructeco-friendlyroofs. Residents might be encouragedto recycle rainwater, and more parking spacesin the city could be eliminated.

City administrators also have to look to changes such asrefrigerating outdoor rinks if they're going to be kept openand lengthening the season for outdoor pools, according to the executive committee member who oversaw this climate-change report,Ral Mnard.

"There are solutions, investments, methods to prepare as a group,"Mnard told Radio Canada. "There will betemperatureincreases, so we are looking at allscenarios."

"We have no reason not toact."

The island's 19 boroughs and 15 municipalities will work together to coordinatemeasuressuch as planting more trees and providingcoolingstations during heat waves, he noted.

Road maintenancemethods will be altered as well, as rapid weather shiftswill likely increase the pothole plague.

"We must change the way we build," said Mnard,adding that potholes will be filledwith more durable and waterproof material.

Homeowners are also warned that droughts could bringmore incidents of cracked foundations a problem home insurance policies seldom cover.

The report's maps illustrate areas of Montreal islandthat could be mostvulnerable to weather extremes such as floods,droughts and heat waves. Only a few isolated spots havebeensingled out for particularconcern.

For example, certain neighbourhoods inthe Southwest borough, Cte-des-Neigesand St-Lonard are especially vulnerable to heavy rains.

The report also recommends stabilizing shorelines to protect them from floodsand ensuring accessible,clean water during droughts.

The climate-change plan will be reviewed and renewed in 2017-2018.