Ontario and Quebec cities, towns sign climate change covenant

Ontario and Quebec cities will share their best ideasfor dealing with climate change and champion the role cities can play, even if a new agreementbetween their two associations doesn't offer specific targets.

The "climate change action covenant" signed Nov. 25 in Ottawa between theAssociation of Municipalities of Ontario and the Union of Quebec Municipalities also urgesupper levels of government to invest in infrastructuresuch as stormwater management systems and public transit, whichneedbolstering as the climate changes and emissions need to be curbed.

Municipalities have long been on the front lines of the battle against climate change, said Gary McNamara,the president of AMO and mayor of Tecumseh, Ont.

The province of Ontarioor the province of Quebec, or the country, cannot do it alone, cannot meet their goals without the partnership that the municipalities are going tobring to the table.- Association of Municipalities of Ontario presidentGaryMcNamara

The association highlighted some initiatives, such asinBrockville, Ont., where the cityhas installed solar panels on an arena to save energy and costs.Thunder Bayisdeveloping a strategy to adapt to climate change,

"The province of Ontarioor the province of Quebec, or the country, cannot do it alone, cannot meet their goals without the partnership that the municipalities are going tobring to the table," saidMcNamara.

Infrastructure

A big part of the agreement is to push upper levels of government for infrastructure money, something cities have been doing for years,

"This is a critical juncture in time and we have to deal with it today," said McNamara.

The infrastructure required for the coming decades will need to withstand more than it has in the past. The mayor of Burlington, Ont., Rick Goldring, has seen his own basement flood.

"The reality is that the temperatures andthe weather are only going to get more extreme, warmer weather and wilder weather, no matter what we do on the mitigation side," saidGoldring.

Hesaid the focus needs to be as much on adapting to a new normal as it is to mitigating the effects ofclimate change."We need some targeted infrastructure investment into stormwater management across the country."

The mayor of Gatineau, Que. called the agreement "historic." MaximePedneaud-Jobin said hehopes municipalities can influence federal and provincial climate change programs. He said he'll be lookingto try out new technologies and policies employed in other jurisdictions.

"That collaboration for one of the most important issues of this century I think will be fruitful," saidPedneaud-Jobin.