City of Waterloo council summary, April 24, 2023
** The council summary below provides a snapshot of the major items presented at this evening’s council meeting. Please refer to the minutes for an official record of the meeting.
City makes progress in addressing climate change
The City’s work to address climate change is delivering some promising results, but the organization acknowledges much more is needed to achieve its targets.
In order to meet the ambitious targets set by staff and council, large scale transformational change will be required on all levels. This will require increased sustainability and climate change funding through tools such as increased annual funding specifically designed to mitigate and adapt to climate change, potentially leveraging debt and continuing to seek out grant opportunities and continued advocacy to senior levels of government as the climate crisis requires a multi-layered response.
The City has implemented several policies and projects to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Corporately, this includes the creation and adoption of a Corporate Green Building Policy, the ongoing electrification of facilities and fleet, ongoing initiatives to increase the efficiency of the existing fleet through right-sizing, use of telematics, and fleet management systems, and the upcoming creation of the Corporate Climate Action Plan. In the community, there has been a focus on expanding and improving the active transportation network, including the creation of a shared use Woonerf on Larch Street, creating resilient communities through storm water management, urban heat island protection, and increased green infrastructure, and setting enhanced sustainability requirements for the new Generation Park. Council has also backed the City’s goals with financial resources, including the creation of the Climate Action Reserve Fund to finance climate adaptation and mitigation projects.
The City also embedded energy efficiency in the construction of the new Community Pavilion at Waterloo Memorial Recreation Centre and the Eastside Library. The Pavilion is 47 per cent more energy efficient compared to what is required by the building code, while the Eastside Library is 40 per cent more energy efficient.
In 2019 Council declared a climate emergency and set ambitious greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets of 50 per cent by 2030 and 80 per cent by 2050 (as compared to 2010). Within the past five years Council has approved the regional community mitigation plan TransformWR, the Corporate Climate Change Adaptation Plan (CCCAP), the Community Energy Investment Strategy (CEIS), the Energy Conservation Demand Management Plan (ECDM), and the upcoming creation of a Corporate Climate Action Plan (CorCAP). Sustainability and climate change have also been included in master plans, the Strategic Plan, and the Official Plan
More details can be found in the Council report, starting on page 115.
Council statement: Eid al Fitr
The following statement was read during the April 24 Council meeting:
Eid Mubarak to all who celebrate! On April 21, Muslims around the world came together to celebrate Eid al Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
Members of the local Muslim community came together in a City of Waterloo space to celebrate Eid al Fitr on April 21. We look forward to continuing this tradition with our Muslim colleagues, family, friends and neighbours.
Council Statement: Mental Health Week
The first week of May has been recognized as mental health week for more than 70 years. The Canadian Mental Health Association has led these efforts to bring awareness to mental health, challenge societal beliefs and reduce stigma.
We each feel the effects of mental health differently. Together we are learning more about how the many aspects of our identity, including race, ability, class and age, have an impact on our experiences and therefore our mental health. Historical and ongoing impacts of oppression and trauma have a significant cumulative effect on mental health and wellbeing.
We must ensure that supports and treatment take into account the different aspects of identity and acknowledges the harmful effects of discrimination and inequities.
While there is still much work to be done, it is important to acknowledge the work of the many people in our community who work hard to provide compassionate, culturally relevant and trauma-informed mental health services. Today we acknowledge Camino Wellbeing and Mental Health, a newly formed organization that unites existing services to better serve our community.
As Mental Health Week approaches, let’s commit to creating a community that prioritizes good mental health for all by stamping out all forms of oppression and ensuring that everyone has access to the support and services they need.
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Media contact:
Tony Iavarone
Director, Communications
tony.iavarone@waterloo.ca