There’s a lot of thanks to go around as environmental activists and Owen Sounders celebrate the resolution passed by Owen Sound Council on Monday, December 2 that directed staff to prepare a report detailing what the city can do to mitigate the impact of climate change. Thanks, of course, to Mayor Boddy and Council, and especially Councillor Richard Thomas who introduced the motion. Thanks, too, to Sonja Ostertag and her impressive band of young people who spoke so fervently. These young people met with the Mayor earlier, paving the way for the unanimous resolution from Council.
Who else to thank? Well, we can start with Greta Thunberg who initiated Fridays for Future, motivating young people, and many adults as well, to take action. Children and parents from Owen Sound took part last March in the Global Climate Strike. Then students at Owen Sound DSS took up the cause last spring, initiating a petition that eventually had 674 names asking Council to declare a Climate Emergency. Without formally declaring an emergency at this time, Council decided to ask staff what specifically can be done about climate change at the local level.
Cities and towns have direct responsibility for water, sewers, flood control and land development, so they feel climate impacts first-hand. The good news is that we have allies across Canada and beyond. Owen Sound has now joined over 1000 jurisdictions worldwide, most at the municipal level, including Victoria, Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, that are committed to fighting climate change. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities has created a template for developing a climate action plan at the municipal level. Federal, provincial and FCM funding is available to help cities reduce greenhouse gas emissions, avoid flood disasters, improve infrastructure and promote renewable energy. Yes, there is much that can be done!
However, the Climate Action Team BGOS, that has worked on this initiative for months, is conscious that the resolution is a beginning, not an end. No specific projects have been identified at this point and no funding has been put in place. That, of course, is to be expected: first we create a climate action plan, then we work on a timeline and funding to make Owen Sound one of the most climate-friendly cities in Canada. That’s a goal we can get behind! We hope that Council will establish a Task Force that includes knowledgeable citizens as well as concerned councillors. As a citizens’ group we are committed to collaboration, along with realism about budgeting pressures that will make this a gradual process, not an instant fix.
It should be noted that, over the years, Owen Sound has put numerous, positive environmental policies in place. The new City Hall, for instance, is vastly more energy-efficient; and many, though not all, city vehicles burn less energy. As we move forward with a climate action plan, we expect that all city activities and projects will be screened through a climate-change lens. And while that might seem radical today, it is clear to us that this will be the way of the world by 2030. It’s a good road we have embarked upon; let’s hope that our vehicle is powered by renewable energy – and lots of it.
source: media release, Michael Craig on behalf of Climate Action Team, Bruce Grey Owen Sound
