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St. Catharines Awarded for Climate Change Efforts

City receives Climate Action Award from the Water Environment Association of Ontario

The City of St. Catharines is being recognized for its efforts to adapt and prepare for climate change impacts. 

The City has received a Climate Action Award from the Water Environment Association of Ontario. 

The award recognizes and acknowledges innovations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

This comes after a study from the University of Ottawa ranked the City's climate adaptation plan third  out of 15 plans across the province. 

St. Catharines finished ahead of communities like Toronto, Kitchener and Hamilton. 

"We have incorporated a climate lens into asset management decision making by integrating future climate risk onto the water and wastewater assets," said Samantha Downing, the City’s Manager of Infrastructure Assets. "The outcome of the project has allowed the City to directly apply adaptation strategies to manage climate risk for two asset classes, water and wastewater assets and we look forward to applying this methodology and framework to all other City asset classes in the future."

Council passed the Climate Adaptation Plan in 2021. 

Since then, the city has implemented the following initiatives

  • A Green Reserve Fund has been created to help fund energy related projects for City facilities
  • The City completed a Lake Ontario Shoreline Flooding and Hazard Mapping project to help ensure amenities at the beaches and waterfront parks are above revised high lakes levels
  • Homeowner education has been created to increase awareness of storm water best management practices and flooding protection. 
  • Continuation of the annual rain barrel sale and tree giveaway. 

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