Laine Johnson
Yes.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada estimates that responding to the costs of extreme weather will rise from the current $5-6 billion per year to more than $40 billion by 2050. Responding to these climate-induced natural disasters is already stretching municipal resources and capacity. These events have uprooted thousands of trees, and damaged or destroyed critical infrastructure including the electrical grid, highways, buildings, water and wastewater systems, and homes.
With more frequent and intense weather events becoming regular occurrences in Ottawa, the city should be looking for opportunities to work with other levels of government to ensure adequate support for climate change-induced weather events and other natural disasters. The city could also consider a tree maintenance program that helps people maintain their trees to improve how they withstand extreme weather.
I will work with the City, community associations, and business to develop a generator strategy for extended power outages. I would also work to ensure every neighbourhood has a resource hub that they can access. We need residents to know where to go during these emergencies as telecommunication devices are often also offline.
Floodplain mapping is a City-wide issue that I will champion as City Councillor. Largely a provincial responsibility, many of our floodplain maps are significantly out of date. We need accurate maps to make informed development decisions but also decisions on emergency preparedness. Development on old farm/woodland is changing the ability for sites to absorb rainfall, resulting in flooding in previously unlikely areas.
Wendy Davidson
Yes.
Vilteau Delvas
Yes.
Granda Kopytko
Did not participate.
Pat McGarry
Did not participate.