Earlier this week, the City of Kingston declared a climate emergency.
It’s a mostly symbolic gesture meant to help the eastern Ontario city “name, frame and deepen” its commitment to protecting the community, its economy and ecosystem from climate change.
Orillia politicians did not go quite that far.
However, they did support a recently-formed Mayor’s Task Force on Sustainability and anted up $10,000, in part, so the group can rally residents to the cause through a two-day community event later this year.
Mayor Steve Clarke championed the initiative at this week’s council meeting, noting the seeds for the idea were planted several years ago.
“When I came to council a few years ago … there was a general consensus around the council table to create a healthier physical environment within the community,” said Clarke.
However, he noted it’s not easy, adding it “can be a laborious and expensive process” if the city takes that on.
Last fall, “three disparate entities, all wanting to do the same thing, approached me at different times.”
He said he saw it as an opportunity “to put these folks together and let them enjoy the energy of each other.”
The Mayor’s Task force on Sustainability was born.
“I do not want a group meeting on a periodic basis, putting some ideas together and have it go nowhere and creating a document that sits on a shelf and collects dust and doesn’t do anything meaningful,” said the mayor.
He said he is no longer worried about that, noting the group has already met several times, enlisted the help of some key community leaders and “they are dedicated and they are determined.”
And while some councillors questioned allotting $10,000 to the cause, Clarke said it would be money well spent.
“When, as a city, can we get the potential of so much work that I am sure will evolve and align with our goals on the physical environment for $10,000?” he asked.
But Coun. Mason Ainsworth, the lone councillor to vote against the program, saw it differently. He said a “lot of the costs seem extremely odd to me,” referencing a budget for the two-day community event.
Coun. Ralph Cipolla also questioned if the newly-formed group might be a duplication of efforts of city committees and others.
But Tim Lauer, a member of the city’s Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC), said he could see the new group complementing those efforts.
He noted the EAC has had a positive impact through work on Fittons Creek, the clean-up of Ben’s Ditch, and its work helping to organize the annual Pitch-In event.
“I believe (members of the task force) have good intentions and are capable of mobilizing people,” said Lauer. “If they can ... mobilize the community to confront some of our environmental challenges, then I’m in favour of that.”
The mayor said he has high hopes for the group.
He predicted the group will “bring positive change and meaningful action. This, I think, will help put Orillia on the map as far as being more responsible environmental stewards.”
The Task Force
Ellen Field and Fred Larsen made a presentation to city council Monday night to provide some background on the Mayor’s Task Force and Sustainable Orillia.
According to the report they presented, the earth is currently presenting symptoms that "our collective human impact is disrupting the ecological systems and services which support life."
Extreme weather events, droughts, flooding, food security, and loss of pollinators are all examples, they noted, of ecological instability and pose significant risk for human well-being.
Through urbanization, 55% of the population lives in cities and consequently it is cities that are directly dealing with the management of human well being and impacts of ecological disruptions, noted the report.
Across Canada, cities are rising to the sustainability challenge and are focused on lessening their footprints: Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Kelowna, Kingston, Waterloo, Ottawa, Hamilton-Burlington, York Region, London, Sudbury and Town of Blue Mountains along with 265 other small municipalities in Ontario have significant climate change action and sustainability plans.
According to the report, Canada is the seventh worst population based on consumption of the Earth’s resources.
The report declares: “In Orillia, as we develop a comprehensive sustainability plan, there is opportunity to learn and build on others’ work and foster a local culture of efficient and results-oriented sustainability practices.”
Sustainable Orillia has decided to divide its work into the following sectors with local people serving as champions of these sectors:
- Agriculture/Food/Cropland
- Forest/Land/Water
- Goods and Services
- Housing
- Transportation, Renewable Energy and Conservation
- Four Seasons Recreation and Travel
- Private Sector Capital and Operations
- Public Sector
- o Public Sector capital and operation
- o Education
- o Health and Wellness
- o Arts and Culture
These are some of the strategies they are planning:
- Facilitate both city-sponsored projects and community projects;
- Focus on measurable reductions in individual, community, city carbon footprint enabled with “smart city” technology;
- Demonstrate with quick wins and long-term achievements that Orillia is a leader in change-making and carbon reduction;
- Develop Sustainability Orillia as a learning, leadership and collaboration hub; and
- Develop socio-enviro-economically viable solutions
It is the group’s belief that they can facilitate a sustainability program for Orillia, building on the corporate plan, the emerging strategic plan, and previous environmental achievements under the City Council umbrella that will contribute to:
- Planning for, and acting upon, greenhouse gas reduction;
- Better health - physical and mental well-being;
- New economic opportunities;
- Improvements to the physical and built environment;
- Enhanced production and utilization of agricultural land; and
- Ensuring that the lives of our children and ensuing generations are lived in a world that is not worse than ours
Sustainable Orillia will have a coming-out party of sorts on the weekend of May 24-25.
The launch begins Friday, May 24 with a reception, free viewing of the film Anthropocene and a discussion period following the film.
On Saturday, May 25, a day-long conference will be held at Lakehead Orillia. It will begin with remarks by Mayor Steve Clarke and include presentations from mayors of cities (via teleconferencing) with existing carbon footprint or sustainability initiatives.
There will also be sector presentations and discussion during the breakout sessions in the afternoon will be focused on identifying actions to be taken and will culminate in an action report for each sector.
“The objective of the launch is to create awareness of the importance of sustainability and climate change initiatives to Orillia's future and to develop a call to action and a high level community action plan to facilitate sustainability and counteract climate change,” says the report.
