Today, the Honourable Julie Dabrusin, Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature, and Mayor Danny Breen, Board Member of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, announced an investment of approximately $7.1 million through the Green Municipal Fund’s Local Leadership for Climate Adaptation initiative. This funding will support 80 climate adaptation projects across Canada, with 25 projects specifically in Newfoundland and Labrador. The projects aim to strengthen community resilience through climate adaptation plans, climate-focused asset management strategies, and community-wide climate risk assessments.
Canada is experiencing increasingly severe climate events, including floods, storms, and wildfires, which disrupt lives and local economies. Building climate resilience is therefore both economically sound and essential for protecting communities. Examples of funded projects include $70,000 for watershed delineation and climate adaptation planning in Hare Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador; $696,220 for erosion control and slope stabilization at Hurst Bridge in Barrie, Ontario; $600,000 to implement heat mitigation and air-purifying measures at non-market housing in Vancouver, British Columbia; and $70,000 to assess and adapt to climate risks in Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories.
In partnership with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the Government of Canada is equipping local governments with funding, skills, and guidance to plan and implement proactive climate adaptation initiatives. These efforts align with Canada’s National Adaptation Strategy, which seeks to create long-term resilience to climate change while safeguarding the health, safety, and economic stability of communities.
Minister Julie Dabrusin highlighted the importance of supporting municipalities on the frontlines of climate change, noting that the partnership helps communities protect residents while building a stronger and cleaner economy. Rebecca Bligh, President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, emphasized that the initiative empowers local leaders to build lasting resilience, demonstrating the critical role of collaboration between federal and municipal governments.
The Green Municipal Fund manages roughly $2.4 billion in programs funded by the federal government to support municipal environmental priorities, including a $530 million investment in community-based adaptation initiatives launched in June 2024. These efforts form part of Canada’s broader $2 billion funding commitments under the National Adaptation Strategy to help communities prepare for climate change nationwide.
Since 2015, the Government of Canada has invested more than $6.6 billion in climate adaptation, including $2.1 billion since 2022 to implement the National Adaptation Strategy. The need for action is urgent: Canada’s 2024 nationwide temperature was the highest on record at 2.0 °C above the 1991–2020 average, and extreme weather caused fatalities, property damage, and an all-time insured loss record exceeding $9.2 billion. These investments aim to protect communities today and ensure long-term climate resilience for future generations.
