Ottawa invests in climate change adaptation in northern Ontario

Laurentian University has received more than $500K for projects related to Canada’s Climate Change Adaptation Program.

Laurentian University has received more than half a million dollars from the federal government to fund projects related to Canada’s Climate Change Adaptation Program.

In total, the federal government announced $2.7 million for five projects in northern Ontario under the Climate Change Adaptation Program.

Officials said that since the impacts of climate change are becoming more severe, acting now will help improve long-term resilience and reduce costs associated with extreme weather events.

Lynn Wells, president of Laurentian University, said the federal funding will help with efforts to address climate change.

“It will allow us to continue this important work of addressing climate adaptation and in partnership with First Nation communities, which is very, very important,” Wells said.

The school is a partner within the Partnership For Indigenous Climate Change Adaptation Program. An online geo hub is currently in development.

“A one-stop shop for people to find anything they need about climate change adaptation,” said Chantal Sarrazin-Delay, Up North on Climate Change program lead.

“There is a lot of maps so they can go specifically to their community and understand what the risks are to their community and try to bring together adaptation plans.”

Jasmine Baxter, Matawa Tribal Council guardians navigator, said they need to be prepared for the future.

“To document all the changes in our landscapes so we can utilize the information to prepare for mitigation,” Baxter said.

The funding will also be used by the Laurentian University Climate Risk Institute for training to help improve competencies to deal with the impacts of climate change.

“There is a lot of room for improvement,” said Al Douglas, president of the Climate Risk Institute.

“We know that we are falling behind when it comes to responding to climate change risks and impacts, so there is a real need for us to be building this into our professional practice and make it more a part of our everyday activity across the board.”