THUNDER BAY – Thunder Bay city council will consider formally declaring a “climate emergency” at its first meeting in the new year. Councillor Andrew Foulds plans to move the motion, following a memo in support of the declaration from the city’s sustainability advisory committee, EarthCare.
More than 400 Canadian municipalities have made similar declarations, from Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal to smaller cities like Kingston and Sudbury. The federal government passed a similar declaration in June of this year. The EarthCare memo, which will be presented at council’s Jan. 13 meeting, urges the city to join that movement.
If passed, the declaration would meet a demand by organizers of local climate strike protests. It would not compel any specific actions by the city, but proponents believe it’s a powerful symbol that could also inform future planning.
Foulds, who chairs the EarthCare committee, acknowledges the declaration is a symbolic act, “but symbols matter,” he says. “It’s a recognition that [the problem] is urgent.”
Thunder Bay’s growing role accommodating those fleeing floods and wildfires in northern communities is one example of how climate change is already affecting the city, he adds.
Councillor Kristen Oliver, who also sits on the EarthCare committee, supports the motion. She is concerned about climate change impacts like invasive species and extreme weather events.
“I think the flood we had in 2012 was really an eye-opening experience for us,” she says.
Oliver expects the proposed declaration will generate some controversy, but says it simply acknowledges the scientific consensus on climate change.
“I know it’s polarizing, and some people will be upset by it,” she says. “But science is science.”
Both councillors emphasized the declaration would be just one part of the city’s response to the climate crisis. They pointed to significant reductions in the municipal government’s carbon emissions as a prime example. A recent report states greenhouse gas emissions from municipal operations have fallen by 25 per cent since 2009. Those reductions saved the city an estimated $13.5 million.
Still, both councillors agree there’s much more to be done, given the scale of the challenge.
“Thunder Bay has been a leader,” Foulds says. “I want to continue to lead.”
