Climate Action Council

Equity

Southern Ontario Flood Equity Working Group Workshop  – Taking Stock: Current Flood Data and Information Needs in Southern Ontario

Southern Ontario faces growing flood risks that require evidence-based approaches to develop equitable flood information systems that adequately consider vulnerable and at-risk populations. This workshop sought to take stock of current flood data and information capabilities across our region, identifying gaps, pressing requirements, and key challenges. We will draw on leading international frameworks to examine how these might inform practitioners in Southern Ontario, as we develop this framework for an equitable flood data information system. Together, we explored what equitable flood information systems could look like and how to collaboratively create them, recognizing that current evidence-based approaches may inadvertently overlook at-risk populations. Attendees engaged in structured breakout discussions to develop a collaborative vision for more equitable flood data and information systems that serve both long-term adaptation planning and broader community resilience goals.

 

 

Low-Carbon Affordable Housing: Efficiency Meets Equity

Waterloo Region Housing’s 420 Kingscourt Drive is a 73-unit building that provides comfortable and energy-efficient housing for lower-income residents. The building was designed with renewable energy and energy efficiency measures, including ground source heat pumps connected to an open-loop geothermal system and solar PV panels, integrated, and is expected to result in energy savings of approximately $54,000 annually, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and net annual total energy use intensity. In this webinar, Tristan Wilkin, Supervisor, Affordable Housing Development and Brad Pick, Senior Project Manager, at Waterloo Region, presented on 420 Kingscourt Drive from project initiation through to development.

Additional Resources

 

If you are interested in a copy of the slide deck, please contact cap@cleanairpartnerhsip.org

Growing Together: A Tree Equity Q&A Session

City of Toronto and City of Ottawa have each adopted a tree equity approach to address the unequal distribution of urban canopy in their cities. Both cities are working to identify and prioritize areas of tree inequity, focusing tree planting efforts where they are needed most. In this session, staff from City of Toronto and City of Ottawa answered your questions regarding their approaches and the challenges so far.

Additional Resources

 

Indoor Heat Bylaw Series: Understanding the Heat Risk Landscape in Canadian Communities

This workshop provided an overview of the impact of frequent heat events on health and equity in our communities. We explored the roles played by local governments in addressing heat events, introduced CAP’s Heat Adaptation Project, and provided an overview of North America’s maximum temperature bylaws. Participants heard from the Canadian Environmental Law Association on municipal authority to implement a maximum temperature bylaw, the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, and City of Toronto.

 

Additional Resources

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Building a Resilient and Livable City: City of Toronto’s Thermal Comfort Guidelines

To address outdoor public realm thermal conditions, respond to climate emergencies, sustainability goals, and the needs of a growing population, The City of Toronto developed Thermal Comfort Guidelines that will be applied in the evaluation of City-initiated large area studies, major outdoor public realm capital projects, and large site developments (over 5 hectares) with buildings over 6 storeys. In this webinar, Kristina Reinders, Program Manager Urban Design, and Rong Yu, Project Manager Urban Design, presented on the Guideline’s development and implementation.

Additional Resources

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Who Uses and Benefits from Toronto’s Parks and Multiuse Trails?

Access to green space is widely recognized as a key indicator for mental, physical, and emotional health. Much of Toronto’s green space is found through its extensive ravine system, much of which is linked by a multi-use trail system. On top of providing benefits as a space for recreation and nature, much of Toronto’s multi-use trail system provides cyclists routes removed from vehicular traffic that connect many parts of the city. Despite these benefits, there is very little publicly available information on who currently uses and benefits from Toronto’s parks and multiuse trail systems, and whether their amenities are equitably accessible to all Torontonians. To address this gap, between June and August 2024, The Centre for Active Transportation (TCAT) at Clean Air Partnership conducted intercept surveys and travel counts in three major multi-use trails across the city.
In this webinar, TCAT Project Manager and study lead Sophie Callahan shared key transferrable insights for Ontario municipalities. Sophie shared highlights from an analysis of cross-cutting trends in the data as well as a demographic analysis that identified associations between demographic variables and trail behaviour, perceptions, and barriers and opportunities to increase trail use.

 

Additional Resources

 

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Applying An Equity and Climate Lens in Dufferin County

As municipalities recognize the need for sustainable and inclusive growth, integrating climate and equity lenses is becoming essential. In this webinar, Sara MacRae, Manager of Climate & Energy at Dufferin County, shared how the County is applying an Equity and Climate Lens to shape its operations and decision-making processes.

Additional Resources

Promoting Equity in Urban Forestry: City of Ottawa’s Tree Equity Analysis

Urban tree canopy distribution often mirrors socio-economic inequalities, with neighbourhoods with lower canopy coverage typically home to equity-deserving communities. To support equitable access to the urban forest canopy, the City of Ottawa will conduct a tree equity analysis and use its findings to prioritize tree planting under the City’s Tree Planting Strategy. In this webinar, Martha Copestake and Zoe Bedford from the City of Ottawa discussed Ottawa’s approach to addressing tree inequity.

Additional Resources

Climate Change and Health Equity Webinar

In this webinar, Kim Perrotta from the Canadian Health Association for Sustainability and Equity (CHASE) presented findings from their report, produced with the CPHA and OPHA, on Climate Change, Health and Health Equity.

This report seeks to foster alliances between public health professionals, municipal staff, and local community groups. It provides case studies and identifies the health and health equity benefits that can be gained by promoting five local climate solutions – public transit, walkable neighbourhoods, active transportation infrastructure, green buildings, and green space.

For a copy of the slide deck, please email cap@cleanairpartnership.org

 

Affordable housing energy-efficiency program

Energy efficiency in homes is essential to reducing the cost of electricity used and lowering the environmental impact of energy. In this webinar, we learned more about the Energy Affordability Program the Independent Electricity System Operator offers via Save on Energy. The program is for housing providers, such as municipality-run housing, non-profits, and co-operatives and offers free assessments and upgrades for appliances, water-saving measures, and cold-climate heat pumps. We learned more about the eligibility process and the types of support available.

For a copy of the slide deck, please email cap@cleanairpartnership.org