Latest news with #DisasterMitigationandAdaptationFund
Cision Canada
19-06-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Investing in flood reduction capacity in Peterborough
PETERBOROUGH, ON, June 19, 2025 /CNW/ - The new downtown flood reduction project in Peterborough, supported by an $11-million investment from the federal government, will replace an existing storm sewer and help improve water flow and drainage, significantly reducing the impact of extreme weather events for homes and businesses. A 2004 storm brought severe rainfall and caused significant flood damage to downtown Peterborough. It disrupted residential living conditions, caused lost income to local businesses, and created financial hardships for affected community members. As part of the City's strategy to prevent future floods of this magnitude, a 100-year capacity sewer will replace the existing sewer along Charlotte Street from Park Street to Water Street. The project will also improve water flow and drainage from the street, significantly reducing the impact of extreme weather events. Investing in public infrastructure projects designed to mitigate current and future climate-related risks supports more resilient Canadian communities. Making adaptation investments now will have major economy-wide benefits later. Every dollar that is invested in adapting and preparing for climate-related disasters can return as much as $13 to $15 in benefits. Quotes "Building safe and resilient communities is one way Canada is preparing for the impacts of climate change. Today's investment in flood reduction measures in Peterborough will help to prevent costly damage, protect homes, and safeguard businesses in the downtown core. These infrastructure investments also emphasize our commitment to build Canada strong." The Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure "Investing in local infrastructure in our community that protects against climate change is not optional - it is a necessity. Our government is pleased to provide this crucial funding to the City of Peterborough as it works to protect residents from the impacts of climate change. We will continue to partner with all communities in the Peterborough riding so they are properly equipped to meet these challenges." Emma Harrison Hill, Member of Parliament, Peterborough "This year, the City of Peterborough is marking its 175 th anniversary from when it was incorporated as a municipality – a Town at that time. We're a community built around a river and creeks, with all the opportunities and challenges created by that landscape. Since the 2004 flood, we've partnered with the federal government and the province to make significant investments in stormwater management to reduce the risk of flooding. The new underground infrastructure under Charlotte Street will build on that work to help protect the residents and businesses in the central area and our historic downtown. Thank you to the federal government for this much needed support for a critical project." Quick Facts The federal government is investing $11,359,152 in this project through the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF). Since 2018, the federal government has committed over $3.8 billion to the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund. To date, over $2.9 billion has been announced for more than 115 infrastructure projects that help communities better prepare for, and withstand, the potential impacts of natural disasters, prevent infrastructure failures, and help keep Canadians safe. On November 24 th, 2022, the federal government released Canada's National Adaptation Strategy: Building Resilient Communities and a Strong Economy. It commits $1.6 billion in new federal funding to help address both immediate and future climate risks to Canadian communities. As part of the National Adaptation Strategy and Government of Canada Adaptation Action Plan, the federal government has launched the Climate Toolkit for Housing and Infrastructure (CTHI) initiative. The Climate Toolkit for Housing and Infrastructure will support the development of integrated climate-related tools, resources and services for communities through: A Climate Help Desk to provide direct support to address infrastructure and climate-related inquiries; A Roster of Climate and Infrastructure Experts to provide access to expert advice to strengthen climate-related considerations of public infrastructure and housing projects; and Climate Tools and Resources that are widely available and accessible through the Platform. Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund Canada's National Adaptation Strategy Strengthened Climate Plan Climate Toolkit for Housing and Infrastructure Housing and Infrastructure Project Map Follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn Web: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada SOURCE Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
CBC
17-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
For some Yukoners, climate change is a key issue this federal election campaign
While topics like tariffs, affordability and housing have dominated conversations about the upcoming federal election, some Yukon voters say another issue should also be at the forefront — climate change and the environment. "It seems to be something we're ignoring now," Haines Junction resident Julie Bauer said. "I know there's other focuses but I think the environment has to be a priority, especially for our youth and for all of us…. We have to think about other things than just day-to-day stuff, we have to think about the future of our children." Whitehorse resident Jennifer Staniforth also said it was a priority for her. "The environment hasn't been talked about a lot and I would hope that that would be a big part of this election," Staniforth said. "I think a clean, healthy planet is the best thing we can do for ourselves right now." A federal government report in 2019 found that Canada, on average, was warming at double the global rate, with the North warming even faster than the rest of the country. Besides warmer days, symptoms of a changing climate have also included increased precipitation, warming and melting permafrost, higher water temperatures and more intense wildfire and flood seasons. While climate change may seem like a standalone issue, Chrystal Mantyka-Pringle, a Whitehorse-based conservation planning biologist with the Wildlife Conservation Society, said it's interwoven with other topics. "My perspective is, we want an MP that can … actually see that intrinsic connection between our economy, our social welfare issues and our environment because they're all interlinked," she said. That's a reality that Yukon First Nations have been grappling with for years now, with traditional travel routes and harvest — including for chinook salmon — along with entire communities threatened by the impacts of climate change. "It's really emotional when we talk about our homelands and when we talk about loss and damage because everything that is alive keeps us as First Nations people in our traditional territory alive," Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation elder Lorraine Netro previously said at a global climate summit. The Yukon's capital city also knows the impact of climate change first-hand, having seen one of its main arteries into and out of the downtown core — Robert Service Way — blocked by a major landslide off a neighbouring escarpment in 2022. "That slide was a wake-up call and a clear sign of the impacts of climate change on our community and our infrastructure," Mayor Kirk Cameron told reporters earlier this month. The slide, and smaller ones in the years since, have cost the city millions of dollars for clean-up and the installation of safety barriers, but an even more expensive project lies ahead — permanently rerouting the road away from the escarpment. The federal government is pitching in more than $45 million for the project via its Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund. Cameron said that kind of federal funding was "critical" for dealing with the triple-threat of climate change, aging infrastructure and a growing population, and that he would ensure the next federal government remains aware of that. What candidates say CBC Yukon asked the four candidates running for the territory's lone MP seat how they planned to address climate change during a forum Tuesday. Here's how they responded, with answers edited for clarity and length. Ryan Leef (Conservative Party) We believe in technology, not taxes. We saw the carbon tax didn't [have] any measurable impact on dealing with the climate issue, which is really a global issue and it just ultimately broke the backs of Canadians in terms of affordability of life. So our focus is going to be on investing in technology. If we utilize some of the ethical and the clean products that we have here in the country, extracting our own resources, we can reduce the emissions that are utilized by our reliance on other global partners. Climate change is not a Yukon-caused phenomenon, although we suffer from the effects of it far more than anyone else, so we do need to be conscious about climate issues, but we also can play a much bigger role in reducing global climate emissions with our technological advances in Canadian innovation. Katherine McCallum (NDP) Canadians are doing their part, but we can't keep relying on working Canadians to solve this enormous problem by themselves. And the way to do that is to make sure that the big polluters are paying for the damage that they're causing and, and they shouldn't be rewarded for the damage that they're causing. So we need to be taxing big oil and gas companies and making sure that that money isn't going offshore. We need to end the consumer carbon tax and instead put the onus on the biggest polluters in subsidies to the most profitable oil and gas companies. Put money in people's pockets by making homes more efficient and reinvesting in greener and renewable energies on the home front and, and making it easier for people and more affordable people to buy a zero-emissions vehicle and make their homes more energy efficient. Brendan Hanley (Liberal Party) Canada has an important role to play and to continue to play as a climate leader. And I'm glad to see among Mark Carney's many, many skills, he was also the UN envoy on climate change, including climate financing. So part of his vision and our vision is harnessing the markets to leapfrog into new energy infrastructure and develop more energy self-sufficiency, which we need to do anyway in the light of the U.S. tariffs, but also to accelerate the transition towards renewable energy. We also need to keep in mind emergency preparedness in the North. We also need to hold industrial polluters to account because we need to continue to bend the curve in emissions. I would say the consumer carbon tax did have an effect about 10 to 15 per cent of emissions reductions. We need to compensate for that on the industrial side. Gabrielle Dupont (Green Party) Clean energy transition — this is one of my priorities for this campaign. We do know that taxing the big emitters, it's three times more efficient than taxing consumers, taxing people. And I do not believe that the carbon tax in the Yukon was the right tool. And so when we do keep taxing the big emitters, the revenue that we're getting from this, we're using [it] to fund clean energy transition. And the Yukon, we're really not that far from being 100 per cent renewable. And I'm pretty sad that we actually missed the boat on projects like the Atlin hydro expansion because of a lack of commitment from the federal government. And so as a Green MP, these are the projects that I would champion as hard as I can, to get these projects out the door. This is exactly what we need to do for our clean energy transition in the Yukon so let's fund these projects.
CBC
20-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Ottawa, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia strike deal on Chignecto funding
The federal, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia governments have reached a deal on a major infrastructure project to protect the low-lying Chignecto Isthmus from the effects of climate change. Ottawa and the two provinces will spend $650 million over the next 10 years to reinforce centuries-old dikes to reduce the risk of flooding in the vital land link between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The isthmus is the only path for national railway, highway, and power and communication lines that connect Nova Scotia to the rest of Canada. The two provinces had opposed the federal government's proposed funding formula for the project, which would see Ottawa pay 50 per cent of the cost and the provinces 25 per cent each. "We agreed to this to avoid delays in the important work needed on the isthmus," Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston wrote in a letter to federal party leaders Thursday, laying out the province's issues ahead of an expected election campaign. Nova Scotia Public Works Minister Fred Tilley said in a joint news release that the province was getting on board with the plan because of the threat of U.S. tariffs and the need to reinforce interprovincial commerce. "Protecting Nova Scotia's main connection to the rest of Canada has never been more important as we take action to increase trade between provinces," Tilley said. "That's why we are taking a Team Canada approach. We're putting the interests of our country first and showing leadership as we unlock our potential." Ottawa estimates $100 million of goods and services pass through the isthmus corridor daily. The announcement comes just days before an expected federal election call by new Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney. In the same news release, New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt welcomed the agreement but called the dike project "only the first step in implementing a long-term climate mitigation solution for the Chignecto Isthmus." The two provincial governments have been negotiating with Ottawa for years about upgrading the aging dike system, which dates back to the arrival of Acadian settlers in 1671. Experts have warned that sea-level rise and increasingly extreme weather could lead to flooding that overwhelms the existing 35 kilometres of dikes, severing Nova Scotia's links to the rest of Canada. The two provinces had argued that Ottawa should pay the full cost of the project because interprovincial links fall under the federal government's constitutional responsibilities. They reluctantly agreed in 2023 to apply for the 50-per-cent federal funding under Ottawa's Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund — while continuing to argue Ottawa should pay the full amount. Last fall, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston wouldn't commit to accepting the funding, saying the 2023 application was "a placeholder" and Ottawa should "do what's right." Nova Scotia launched a reference case in 2023 before the province's Court of Appeal, asking justices to weigh in with a non-binding opinion on that issue. Earlier this month, federal lawyers asked the court to exercise its ability to not answer the question, arguing that Nova Scotia was seeking a legal opinion on what was essentially a political disagreement. If the court rejects that request, the province's case can go ahead. The Appeal Court said in an order issued Thursday that it would rule on that at a later date, after hearing main arguments in the case in a two-day hearing May 20 and 21. Houston said in his letter that despite the funding agreement, his government would continue with the reference case to determine if "paying for the isthmus is a federal responsibility." Lawyers for Nova Scotia said in court they're not asking the court to rule on who should pay but to provide clarity on who has legal authority to protect the CN railway, Trans-Canada Highway, electric transmission lines and fibre-optic cables on the isthmus. The Société de l'Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick has proposed the creation of a national park in the isthmus because of its historical significance to Indigenous people and Acadians.
