Durham Region receives $140,000 to update climate adaptation plan
Whitby — Durham Region received $140,000 from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Green Municipal Fund on Dec. 9 to support a 10-year update of the Durham Community Climate Adaptation Plan, first approved by Regional Council in 2016.
The update is intended to guide how municipal services prepare for and respond to flooding, ice storms, extreme heat and wildfire smoke that affect residents and day-to-day operations. It also sets out how departments coordinate responses and integrate resilience considerations into planning, operations and decision-making.
The funding comes through the Green Municipal Fund’s Local Leadership for Climate Adaptation program. Planned work includes analyzing updated climate data, reviewing existing actions, and consulting with partners and the community to determine next steps for the plan.
“This funding represents an important step forward in strengthening Durham Region’s climate resilience. We’re looking to understand how severe weather affects our community and Durham Region services and assets. By gathering this information, we can take steps to reduce risks to our community and the infrastructure and services we all depend on,” Regional Chair and CEO John Henry said in a statement.
The Region identifies more extreme heat days, more severe storms, freezing rain and power outages as ongoing climate-related impacts across Durham. Adaptation planning outlines risks and priorities and coordinates responses across departments and partner organizations.
Equity-focused planning tailors services—such as cooling centres, transit service and emergency information—to residents at highest risk. The updated plan will build on implementation work underway and reflect new priorities drawn from emerging climate challenges, updated climate data and residents’ lived experiences.