Orillia advances climate change adaptation with new strategy

The City of Orillia is taking steps to reduce its environmental impact and protect its natural resources with a new strategy unveiled at Monday's council meeting.

"The City of Orillia is committed to environmental stewardship and continuous improvement to ensure the health and safety of our community," said Mayor Don McIsaac.

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Councillors received the City's new Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, which identified ways to advance towards climate resiliency, including:

• Strengthening the community's resilience against climate change-related impacts to foster a healthier community.
• Targeting the vulnerability of critical infrastructure, reimagining construction practices, and supporting residents in safeguarding their properties against future climate-related challenges.
• Protecting and enhancing Orillia's natural environment while encouraging community engagement in activities like urban agriculture.
• Enhancing energy availability and resilience, bolstering business continuity during extreme weather events, and ensuring the community is prepared for economic shifts stemming from a changing climate.

"While the Climate Change Action Plan identifies the path to Net Zero Emissions for corporate operations by 2040 and Net Zero Emissions for the community by 2050, the Climate Change Adaptation Strategy focuses on building climate change resilience and advancing community and City efforts to adapt to a changing climate," the release issued Tuesday noted.

The City says the action plan requires community effort.

"As a community, we all must work together to address and mitigate climate change, and our new adaption strategy will help guide us through this process," stated Renee Recoskie, Director of Facilities, Climate Change and Operations.