“This is a bold and ambitious plan created by the community for the community, and achieving the goals will require collective and inspired action from everyone,” said District Chair Jeff Lehman. “Residents have told us that protecting and preserving Muskoka’s environment is a top priority and taking action on climate is essential to community and health and well-being. We owe it to future generations in Muskoka.”

Key Action Focused on Top Emission Sources

The CEERP was shaped by a task force of community members and partners from across Muskoka, who were asked to consider the best path to meet Muskoka’s GHG reduction goals.

The plan targets Muskoka’s top emission sources by focusing action on three key areas:

Transportation: Accounting for 74% of Muskoka’s GHG emissions, the plan focuses on promoting electric/low-carbon vehicles, public transit, and active transportation to decrease reliance on fossil fuels.

Buildings: Accounting for 20% of the region’s emissions, initiatives include energy-efficient retrofit programs and integrating renewable energy sources to reduce Muskoka’s infrastructure’s carbon footprint.

Community Systems: Addressing the remainder of emissions through waste reduction, sustainable tourism, education, and community design to foster a resilient and environmentally friendly community.

Cross-Sector Collaboration and Community Engagement Critical to Success

The CEERP calls for urgent, collaborative action from all community members, including residents, businesses, and government, as well as substantial financial investment across various sectors over several years.

“All sectors – government, businesses, community groups, and residents – must come to the table and do their part to create a sustainable future for our communities,” said the District Community and Planning Services Chair, Nancy Alcock.

Building awareness of sustainable practices and the importance of reducing energy consumption is central to the CEERP’s implementation strategy, along with innovative financing and strategic investments. Another critical factor will require continually evaluating and adapting the plan so that emerging technologies can be incorporated to deepen emissions reductions.

Leveraging CEERP to Accelerate District Efforts

The CEERP includes actions that will help reduce the emissions that are generated from delivering District programs and services (potable water, garbage and recycling pickup, etc.). Financial forecasting is underway to estimate the costs associated with implementing these actions, which can be prioritized in the 2025/2026 Budget and accelerated through investments from the newly established District Climate Change Reserve Fund.

To learn more or stay up to date on work underway to implement the CEERP, visit www.muskoka.on.ca/CEERP

The post District Of Muskoka Introduces Emissions Reduction Plan appeared first on Muskoka411.

Commissioned by FIRST ONSITE, the Weather and Property Survey explores Canada’s top disaster fears (including climate change, spring flooding, wildfires, landslides, etc.) It also asks about threats and concerns for property during severe weather events.

“We conduct this survey every year to get a benchmark of Canadian attitudes, weather worries, and concerns that business and homeowners have for their properties,” said Jim Mandeville, SVP, First Onsite Property Restoration. “People are aware that storms aren’t acting like they used to, and we are seeing an increase in all types of property damage from weather events.”

Climate change concerns
Three quarters of respondents (73%) are worried about climate change and its effects on extreme weather and disasters. This concern was highest in Quebec (79%), British Columbia (77%) and Ontario (75%) and the lowest in Atlantic Canada (67%), Manitoba and Saskatchewan (66%) and Alberta (60%).

Wildfires and smoke
Not surprisingly, regional wildfire concerns were highest in British Columbia (82%) and Alberta (76%). Both provinces also led the way in terms of wildfire smoke fears. Also included in the smoky mix, Quebec (66%), Manitoba and Saskatchewan (66%), Ontario (60%) and Atlantic Canada (50%) expressed concerns over wildfire smoke.

Canada’s emergency preparedness minister recently warned that this year’s wildfire season will be worse than last year’s record-breaking season. In 2023, Canadian fires burned 185,000 square kilometres; that is more than double the previous record set in 1989 of 75,596 square kilometres, according to the National Forestry Database. Wildfire smoke blanketed North American cities all summer, making worldwide news as well.

Spring rains and flooding
Six-in-10 Canadians expressed fears of severe rains and flooding (60%), with British Columbia (67%) and Quebec (66%) leading the way. This makes sense considering B.C.’s history of severe flooding events, including the Pacific Northwest Floods of November 2021 and Québec’s record wet July of 2023. Flooding concern was next highest in Ontario (60%) and Atlantic Canada (59%) and lowest in Manitoba and Saskatchewan (47%) and Alberta (43%).

See the table below for results of Canada’s top disaster and severe weather fears.

Property threats
Drilling down, the survey also asked people what they felt were the top threats to their property during disasters or severe weather events. Six-in-10 Canadians responded, “I am concerned about the risk of mould after a flooding event.” Meanwhile, eight-in-10 Canadians (79%) were worried about personal or family safety during weather-related disasters, a number that was high across the board in all provinces.

People were also anxious about the cost of major renovations (72%), their level of preparedness in the event of a disaster (64%) and whether their insurance is at the right level (60%).

See table below for Canadians’ top threats to property during severe weather events.

“The increased occurrence and intensity of catastrophic weather events is a constant driver for homeowners, businesses and communities to be more resilient and better prepared for potential threats,” said Mandeville. “With the right planning and resources in place, businesses and residents can be better prepared to respond to property emergencies.”

First Onsite has been on the frontlines of high-risk situations due to climate change, natural disasters, and weather-related events. The company is ready 24/7, 365 days per year to help Canadian residents and businesses protect their properties.

First Onsite also offers free commercial and residential preparedness guides including wildfire preparedness tips and spring flooding damage tips. Visit their website for more information at www.firstonsite.ca.

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The Great Immensity follows a woman named Phyllis who sets out to find her husband, a documentary filmmaker that has gone missing while on assignment. She crosses continents in search of him and uncovers a mysterious plot along the way. The drama department at GHS used to put on a musical every other year, but due to COVID disruptions, there hasn’t been one since 2018. Now, musicals will return to the school with pay-what-you-can performances of The Great Immensity at 6 p.m. on June 8 and 3 p.m. on June 10. Drama teacher Earl Sacrey first came across the show during the closures and downtime caused by the pandemic.

“I was really moved by it and I fell in love with it, just as a fan,” Sacrey said. “Then when it came time to sort of get our school year up and running and pick some projects, I looked at the crew of interested students I had, and I thought, ‘Actually, this would be a good fit.’”

The musical has the right number of cast members and the right tone to fit the students’ abilities, he said, along with having an important message. It gives them a chance to work with issues-based material that highlights the impacts of climate change while still depicting some goofy, light-hearted moments.

The Great Immensity also presents an opportunity for the cast and crew to work on a more tech-forward show. The increased use of technology in creating the multimedia experience means there are new problems to solve, Sacrey said, but it’s also been an entertaining exercise for the students.

“One sequence, for example, has a singing shark in it, so we had to figure out a program that could map someone’s face onto a cartoon shark and film and record all that,” he said. “There’s been a lot of tech learning and just a lot of fun with some of the different effects that we can play with.”

The cast and crew have been working on the musical all semester, meeting a few nights a week after school to rehearse and run songs. In addition to being a fun extracurricular for drama lovers, the show has been a great chance to create new friendships and renew others while making something great, he said.

With less than a week left until they take the stage, nerves are running high. They still need to build a few set pieces, lock in their lines and smooth out the tech side of the production, but Sacrey said he knows stress will turn into excitement as they near their performances.

The Great Immensity first appeared on stage in 2010, so it’s a newer show that isn’t performed often. On top of seeing something unique, Sacrey encourages people to see the show to benefit from the energy and enthusiasm of the students.

“It’s material that not very many people have seen before, so that’s kind of exciting,” he said. “If you don’t come to school theatre a lot, and you don’t even know any teenagers, I think it’s easy to forget how [exciting] things get and how passionate they are. From my perspective, at least, it’s a real panacea to just be in a room with them all the time.”

Grade 11 student Oliver Gonneau plays the elusive filmmaker Karl in the upcoming show. Though he’s been involved in theatre for years, this is his first school production.

“The best part has definitely been some of the other cast members and some of the other people there,” Gonneau said. “It’s been a great opportunity to meet people with similar interests as me, and it’s quite the talented cast, in my opinion. It’s been a lot of fun to learn from them and all put on a great show together.”

The musical is bigger and more formal than the student productions he’s been a part of in the past. Credit for the professional nature of the show goes largely to the excellent direction of Sacrey, Gonneau said. 

Practicing the songs, especially the ones that include more cast members, has been one of his favourite memories so far. Preparing for next week’s performances has been a lot of fun as well as a lot of work, so he’s excited to show people what the cast and crew have been up to.

“I would encourage them to come out and just to see what it is that a bunch of high school students can do, what kind of show they can perform for you,” he said. “Not just to make you laugh, to make you smile, but also to make you think, to take a current issue and put it in a form of theatre that’s both easy to understand but also leaves you thinking.”

The post Musicals Return To GHS With The Great Immensity On June 8 And 10 appeared first on Muskoka411.

The Town of Bracebridge is committed to environmental stewardship. Here are the top five ways you can go green in town.

1. Create naturalized spaces that attract pollinators. Plant a variety of wildflowers, shrubs, trees, annuals, perennials, ornamental grasses or a combination of them all to create a beautiful, natural space that complements your yard and supports wildlife. Check out the Muskoka Conservancy’s list of native plants that work best for your conditions and tips for planting.
2. Mow less, mo grass! Commit to mowing less this season for the health of your lawn, insects and wildlife. Longer grass attracts pollinators, helps birds collect more nest materials, conserves water and reduces energy use and emissions. This year, commit to letting grass grow a little longer, up to a max height of 12 inches, before you mow.
3. Create an outdoor compost. Turning food and organic waste into compost and digestate creates economic and environmental benefits, which can improve soil health, help reduce erosion, and improve water quality. Put a compost pile or container in a side or rear yard area, at least two metres (6.5 feet) from your property line. Composting indoors with your green bin helps reduce waste at landfills too.
4. Park the car keys. Leave the car at home and let Bracebridge Transit get you there. One bus can remove up to 20 vehicles off the road and reduce your greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint. Plus, you can sit back, relax and enjoy the stress-free ride.
5. Clean Muskoka Together. Help keep Muskoka beautiful. Form a team with your friends and family to clean up the community. Participate in the District Municipality of Muskoka’s year-round Clean Muskoka Together community litter clean-up program.

Did you know?
The Town of Bracebridge has developed a list of actions to help in being more resilient to climate change. The Bracebridge Action Plan and Implementation Schedule, the Town-specific portion of the District Municipality of Muskoka’s Regional Climate Change Adaptation Plan (ReCAP), outlines the actions that each Muskoka municipality plans to take to address the most urgent and threatening impacts of climate change. The Town’s plan is comprised of 30 action items grouped under five themes. Take a look to see how we’re implementing green initiatives when developing future Municipal Budgets and Business Plans, and to help guide future climate change adaptation activities.

To learn more about yard maintenance, naturalization, and compost, check out the Clean Yard By-Law.

The post Top Five Ways You Can Go Green In Bracebridge appeared first on Muskoka411.

This adaptation plan is a priority for the Town of Bracebridge as it prepares for a more resilient future. Due to its geographical location, Bracebridge is prone to flooding and other impacts of climate change including the destruction of public and private property, shoreline erosion, irregular sedimentation in rivers and lakes, disruptions to vital infrastructure and more.

The Town of Bracebridge Action Plan and Implementation Schedule is comprised of 30 action items grouped under five themes:

• Development and infrastructure;
• Communication and educational awareness;
• Adaptation programs;
• Emergency response measures; and
• Policy change.

Within each theme, several action items are outlined that aim to review current infrastructure, programs and planning, evaluate safeguards and mitigation programs to better support the community, build partnerships and work collaboratively with area partners, focus on continuous improvement, environmental stewardship and more. This plan will be used when developing Municipal Budgets and Business Plans, and to help guide future climate change adaptation activities.

In July 2021, Bracebridge Town Council declared a climate emergency to support the commitment made by municipalities around the world in protecting local economies, communities and ecosystems from the ongoing impacts of climate change. Bracebridge’s natural environment is a core piece of the community’s identity, as well as a key driver of its economic vitality and quality of life. This action plan strengthens the Town’s commitment to adding a climate action perspective on all decision-making and working to achieve community wellbeing, resiliency, and equity.

To learn more about the Town of Bracebridge’s Action Plan and Implementation Schedule and the ReCAP overall, visit bracebridge.ca/reports.

“The Town of Bracebridge is committed to environmental stewardship and continuous improvement to ensure the health and safety of the community and the natural beauty of our town. We must act now to take the necessary steps to reduce our environmental impact and protect our natural resources to ensure the health and wellness of the community both now and in the future. The Bracebridge Action Plan and Implementation Schedule will help guide plans and decision making to ensure resiliency from the impacts of climate change. I look forward to working collaboratively with our local partners to ensure the natural beauty of Muskoka is preserved for generations to come.”

– Rick Maloney, Mayor, Town of Bracebridge

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To earn this status, FOTMW had to prove to the Canada Revenue Agency that their environmental protection work meets strict criteria. The Friends of the Muskoka Watershed can now give tax receipts for all monetary donations.

“This is an important change for our organization,” says Doug Clark, a volunteer director on the FOTMW board. “It was a long and complex process and many months of communication with the Canada Revenue Agency. More work will be required in the future as we take on this new role as a charity. ”

Many people will be familiar with the Friends of the Muskoka Watershed’s wood ash recycling and Citizen Science programs and their work to find solutions and strategies to deal with environmental issues such as road salt and algal blooms.

In the past decade, FOTMW has been supported by many who have given money to support the organization’s work protecting Muskoka watershed. “We are thrilled that we are now able to offer our generous donors and members a tax receipt for their financial contributions,“ says Dr. Norman Yan, founding director of FOTMW. Both a membership campaign and fundraising campaign are planned in the next few weeks so FOTMW supporters can take advantage of year-end tax receipts.

To qualify for registration as a charity, an organization must have purposes that are exclusively charitable and charitable activities that support those purposes. FOTMW identifies environmental threats, develops practical science-based solutions, and connects with policy-makers to put these solutions in place. They also cultivate an awareness of these threats and solutions through educational outreach within the Muskoka community.

Priorities for the organization include strategic research and actions to solve known problems that are not yet managed well – such as calcium decline in Muskoka forests, harmful winter road salt, climate change and increasing algal blooms. Their priorities are regularly reviewed and adapted by the board.

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Released today and written in partnership with StrategyCorp, the Accelerating Ontario’s Green Future: New Approaches to Housing and Climate Change report tackles GHG emissions in the resale housing market by providing more supports to homeowners in reducing their energy use and saving costs on their monthly bills. The report also proposes a plan to help address a major climate threat looming over Ontario homeowners from – flooding.

“Climate change is a major threat to our way of life and the residential housing sector has to do its part to lower emissions and mitigate risks,” said Tim Hudak, OREA CEO. “Through these recommendations, Ontario can help homeowners reduce their carbon footprint, safeguard their homes against climate change, and keep more money in their pockets.”

Three of the major planks in OREA’s policy paper will support homeowners in making building envelope improvements to their properties. Envelope improvements (upgrades to outer barriers supporting energy efficiency, from windows to walls) have been shown to be one of the best ways to reduce the consumption of natural gas – a major driver of GHG emissions from housing.

“On-bill financing is a great way to provide homeowners with upfront help to do a green renovation, which they can then pay off using the savings on their energy bills,” said Hudak. “The planet gets lower GHG emissions from homes, jobs get created in the renovation sector and homeowners get long term savings – it’s a win-win.”

Recent environmental and climate change events across Canada – from heat waves in British Columbia to coastal erosion in Nova Scotia – have highlighted the significant challenges and issues that arise when housing is not prepared for rapidly changing environmental conditions.

Annual catastrophic insurance pay outs in Canada averaged $400 million until 2008 but are now approaching $2 billion each year. With higher insurance pay outs inevitably comes rising premiums – in Ontario, they have grown by 64% over the last decade – making it more costly to own a home in an already expensive market.

Together, the recommendations within create the conditions for Ontario to reduce emissions, mitigate the impacts of climate change on homeowners, and support societal uptake of measures that will encourage the overall “greening” of the housing sector. They include:

1. Creating a New Green Home Renovation Tax Credit: The Government of Ontario should create a targeted green home renovation tax credit explicitly for green renovations—including those that enable a work-from-home setup. This credit should only apply to homes built before 2010 and include an income cap, to help focus on improving existing middle-class homes.
2. Introducing On-Bill Financing (OBF) for Building Envelope Improvements: The Ontario government should work with their energy sector stakeholders to offer OBF residential energy efficiency programs for their customers, allowing upfront costs to be paid down over time. This would help reduce emissions, create high-skill construction jobs, improve energy-efficiency, lower household energy bills, and does not require a new spending line in government budgets.
3. Developing Flood Mapping for Home Flood Protection: Flooding is cited as the costliest climate event in Canada in terms of damage and impact with respect to insurable losses. To allow Ontarians to make better-informed decisions when buying or selling a home, the Government of Ontario should develop a user-friendly system that establishes the flood risk of residential properties across the province to fill in gaps in existing flood mapping.

“Without action to address emissions in Ontario’s residential building space, it will be difficult for Ontario to meet its existing targets and even harder to meet its future targets,” said Stacey Evoy, OREA President. “In order to do so, the Ontario Government must also consider improving the climate resiliency of Ontario homes. Akin to GHG reduction improvements, increasing a home’s climate change adaptation protection will only increase the value of the home.”

The eight policy options outlined in this paper, together, will help bring the province closer to meeting its GHG emissions reductions targets and commitments and contribute to Canada becoming net zero by 2050. Further, they are beneficial for the environment, while also aligning with Ontarians’ desire to take climate action and protect the value of their most important asset: their home.

The post Cut Energy Costs And Fight Climate Change By Greening Ontario Homes, Say Realtors appeared first on Muskoka411.

“On behalf of Council, I am thrilled to be moving forward with implementing Orillia’s Climate Future. The Climate Change Action Plan demonstrates the City’s commitment and readiness to tackle the challenges of climate change at our local level,” said Mayor Steve Clarke. “I encourage all citizens of Orillia to review the Climate Change Action Plan. While the shift to a net-zero future will take effort and dedication from the whole community, taking action on climate change will lead to a better life for Orillians today and tomorrow.”

In addition to adopting the plan in principle, Council approved corporate GHG emission reduction targets of 50 per cent by 2030 and net zero (100 per cent) by 2040 and endorsed community reduction targets of 33 per cent by 2030 and net zero by 2050.

“Establishing a net-zero-emissions-by-2040 corporate GHG emission reduction target is ambitious and positions the City to lead by example in the areas within its direct control,” said Renee Recoskie, Manager, Property and Environmental Sustainability. “We know action is required now to limit warming, with significant progress needed by 2030. We are actively working to implement priority projects approved by Council as part of the 2022 budget process to do our part. Looking ahead, we are excited to work towards achieving the goals identified in Orillia’s Climate Future.”

Orillia’s Climate Future is divided into three ‘Big Moves’ necessary to realize a net-zero community by 2050. These groupings include:

1. Big Move 1: Local renewable energy – seeking ways for the community to generate renewable energy.
2. Big Move 2: Transportation – increasing the uptake of zero-emission vehicles and making investments in public transit and active transportation.
3. Big Move 3: Buildings – retrofitting existing buildings and encouraging high-efficiency new builds to reduce energy demand and GHG emissions.

Along with the ‘Big Moves,’ the plan identifies additional actions to make the transition to net-zero emissions, including managing and reducing waste and ongoing climate action governance.

By 2050, the actions in Orillia’s Climate Future are expected to completely reduce GHG emissions in the community, even with projected population growth. These actions are also anticipated to bring major economic benefits to Orillia, generating an estimated $2 billion in net financial returns for the community by 2050 and creating approximately 260 new local jobs annually, with the majority in residential and commercial building retrofits and infrastructure investments.

In early 2021, the City, along with consulting firm Sustainability Solutions Group, began a strategic planning process to build a long-term Climate Change Action Plan with the community, for the community.

“Community voices were integral to the development of this plan. On behalf of Council, thank you to the Community-Based Steering Committee and citizens who participated in the engagement process,” said Mayor Clarke. “The development of this plan was just the beginning, and we look forward to working closely with the community as we embark on Orillia’s Climate Futuretogether.”

To read the Climate Change Action Plan and stay up to date on implementation progress, visit orillia.ca/climatefuture.

The post Council Adopts Climate Change Action Plan For City Of Orillia appeared first on Muskoka411.

The working group will look at the impacts of climate change across Muskoka’s communities, identify future risks, and draft a regional plan to adapt to these changes.  The adaptation plan will outline actions for communities and municipalities to take to prepare for the effects of climate change now and in the future.

Led by District and area municipal staff, the working group includes representatives from environmental advocacy groups, chambers of commerce, Indigenous groups, tourism and cottagers associations, the natural resources sector, utilities, public health, school board, and more.

“The District is excited to launch the New Leaf Community Working Group in partnership with our area municipalities to move climate action forward in Muskoka.,” said District Chair John Klinck. “This partnership, which I hope will ultimately include our friends in Georgian Bay Township, will strengthen our abilities to adapt to the changing climate and to help protect Muskoka’s most valued asset – our natural environment.”

Learn more and stay informed!

To learn more about the New Leaf Climate Working Group, please visit: www.engagemuskoka.ca/new-leaf-community-working-group

To learn more about other climate change-related projects the District is working on, check out our website: https://www.muskoka.on.ca/en/environment/climate-change-initiatives.aspx

The post A New Leaf Community Working Group Launched To Strengthen Action On Climate Change In Muskoka appeared first on Muskoka411.

McDonald, who hails from Orillia, will be kicking off the Virtual Open House with his thoughts on local climate action. Registration for the event can be completed online by visiting orillia.ca/climatefuture or directly on the eventbrite page here.

“The City is honoured to welcome Bob McDonald, one of Canada’s best-known science communicators, and host of CBC’s Quirks & Quarks, to begin the conversation at our virtual open house,” said Mayor Steve Clarke. “We encourage those who live, work, learn or play in Orillia to attend on Sept. 16 and share their ideas and feedback on Orillia’s approach to climate change.”

As part of the development of the Community Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP), titled Orillia’s Climate Future, during the virtual open house, the City and its consultant, Sustainability Solutions Group (SSG), will be presenting the current state of Orillia’s emissions and information about how to lower local greenhouse gas emissions in the future. This will also include information on how climate change action planning contributes to a better quality of life for all citizens and an opportunity for attendees to share their thoughts on what they would like to see in the plan.

“Developing a pathway to reduce Orillia’s future carbon emissions while also contributing to vibrant sustainable development is a big undertaking, which is why the City wants to hear from as many Orillians as possible. Attendees to the virtual open house will have the chance to win an Orillia merchandise prize pack,” said Renee Recoskie, Manager, Property and Environmental Sustainability.

Orillia’s Climate Future is an action plan that will identify how Orillia can reduce its greenhouse gas emissions locally to reduce the impacts of climate change globally. It will also guide the future growth of Orillia towards a sustainable path for future generations. Municipalities around Canada and the world are creating action plans to help tackle the ambitious challenge of climate change by making our homes, offices, and green spaces more sustainable.

In addition to the virtual open house, members of the public can also provide feedback through an online survey at orillia.ca/climatefuture. The responses from the survey will assist in the development of the CCAP.  Hard copy versions of the survey are available at the main reception at Orillia City Centre, 50 Andrew St. S. The survey will close on Sept. 20, 2021 at 4 p.m.

The CCAP is anticipated to be presented to Council for review and endorsement in early 2022. Orillia residents and other interested parties are invited to visit orillia.ca/climatefuture for more information or to sign up for updates on this project.

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