Canada Invests in Climate Change Adaptation to Keep Communities Safe in Quebec and Across Canada

Press Release

From: Natural Resources Canada

Across the country, the impacts of climate change are becoming more severe and more frequent with extreme events like floods, wildfires and heatwaves on the rise. Gradual changes, like thawing permafrost in the north and rising sea levels in coastal regions, are also affecting the safety of our communities and quality of life. Acting now will help improve long-term resilience and reduce costs associated with the increasing frequency of extreme weather events in Canada, including higher grocery prices, insurance premiums and local taxes to cover the costs of disaster recovery and damage.

To protect our communities from the worst economic and environmental impacts of climate change, we must continue to prepare for the changes that are coming by investing in community resilience. This will not only support the safety of Canadians but also reinforce the ability of communities to recover from extreme weather events.

Today, the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, along with the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, on behalf of the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, announced over $3.6 million in funding for six projects in Quebec under Natural Resources Canada’s Climate Change Adaptation Program (CCAP) and the Climate-Resilient Coastal Communities (CRCC) Program. These projects aim to support regions and sectors in Quebec and across Canada in adapting to a changing climate by developing future climate scenarios, adaptation tools and resources, knowledge sharing networks and integrated adaptation plans and actions.

The funding announced today comes from a total investment of $39.5 million, announced on November 14, 2024, through the CCAP and the CRCC Program to reduce climate change risks and build more resilient communities across the country in support of the National Adaptation Strategy (NAS).

The steps we take now will protect our communities, our livelihoods, our environment and our economy. We are actively investing in climate change adaptation to proactively support community-led resilience and adaptation projects. It is essential, now more than ever, that we come together to help communities stay strong in the face of current and future change.

Quotes

“The impacts associated with climate change — including intense wildfires, devastating floods, stronger tropical storms and hurricanes, and permafrost thaw in the north — are being felt environmentally and economically in every single region of Canada. That is why this federal government is acting now to help our communities and our economy prepare for and protect against the threat of climate change. Today’s announcement of six projects based in Quebec under the CCAP and CRCC supports the vital long-term, community-based work to keep people safe now and into the future.”

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

“Climate change can have devastating impacts on our environment and our communities. The investments we are announcing today will help communities in Quebec and Canada adapt to and mitigate future climate-related challenges. By working collaboratively, we will be able to manage the growing threats of climate-related disasters.”

The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier
Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and Member of Parliament for Gaspésie–Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine

“Municipalities are on the front lines of climate change and best understand the specific challenges facing their neighbourhoods, transportation and businesses. These six projects, part of the CCAP and CRCC programs, aim to create stronger, more livable communities while ensuring safety and security as the climate changes. By making smart investments, planning ahead and working together, we can help communities become more sustainable and prosperous for future generations.”

The Honourable Steven Guilbeault
Minister of Environment and Climate Change

“The project on the economic analysis of forest fire adaptation measures in Quebec is particularly relevant and visionary. By tackling the economic impacts of forest fires in the context of climate change, it contributes to proactive environmental risk management. This project, backed by $750,000 in funding, reflects a clear commitment to sustainability. It is an exemplary initiative to guide future climate policies and investments.”

Yves Robillard
Member of Parliament for Marc-Aurèle-Fortin

“Financial support from Natural Resources Canada is helping to deploy a mobilizing approach to the many challenges of climate change adaptation in coastal areas. The Manicouagan-Uapishka Biosphere Region, in partnership with Environnement Côte-Nord and the Manicouagan RCM, will thus be able to effectively plan regional adaptation based on local concerns and capacities.”

Vincent Bussières
Project Lead, Manicouagan-Uapishka Biosphere Region

“While most climate change studies propose projections that do not go beyond the 2100 horizon, this exploratory project will develop methodologies for producing longer-term climate scenarios. This will pave the way toward a better understanding of expected climate evolution over much longer time horizons. These advances will eventually enable players in the field who have to manage systems with a very long lifespan, particularly in the mining sector, to plan and design infrastructures that are more resilient in the face of a changing climate.”

Alain Bourque
Director General, Ouranos

“The aim of the project is to create a unifying vision for a fairer, more resilient Gaspésie that will enable us to adapt to the challenges of climate change. Starting in March, a wide-ranging consultation will be held with residents throughout the region to hear their dreams and concerns for the region’s future. This will be followed by a regional consultation to draw up a roadmap for the transition in Gaspésie with all the players involved.”

Arielle Paiement
Project Lead, Centre d’initiation à la recherche et d’aide au développement durable

“The APDEQ is proud to be partnering with Coboom on an ambitious socio-economic resilience project for Quebec’s coastal zones, supported by Natural Resources Canada. Being an integral part of the Quebec economy for more than 65 years, the APDEQ believes it has a duty to contribute to the economic challenges of tomorrow. A project of this scope aims to mobilize all players in the field, but above all, it enables us to break down silos and find sustainable economic solutions for all. The APDEQ thanks Natural Resources Canada for making such forward-looking projects possible.”

Félix Moutot
Project lead in Sustainable Economy, APDEQ

“The exceptional fire season of 2023 offers us a window of opportunity to reflect on our relationship with the forest in a context where the risk of fire will increase throughout Quebec and Canada. Central to the project is our desire to recognize the multiple values of the forest and provide relevant economic information to increase the resilience of forest ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.”

Laurent Da Silva
Co-founder, Nada Conseils Inc.

“The Centre for Expertise and Research on Infrastructures in Urban Areas (CERIU) is delighted to receive support from Natural Resources Canada to help municipalities adapt to climate change. CERIU’s project entitled Vers un avenir résilient : quand partage et collaboration soutiennent l’adaptation aims to develop technological support adapted to the needs of municipal representatives and to bring them together in knowledge sharing and transfer activities. CERIU is proud to collaborate with the Government of Canada in this new program.”

Catherine Lavoie
President and CEO, CERIU

Quick facts

• Every $1 spent on climate change adaptation measures saves up to $15 in terms of the long-term costs involved in mitigating climate change impacts and extreme weather events.
• Since 2015, the Government of Canada has invested more than $6.5 billion in adaptation efforts, including $2.1 billion since fall 2022 to implement the NAS and other adaptation-related activities.
• The CCAP will help Canada’s regions and sectors to adapt to a changing climate. More specifically, the CCAP aims to:o    support decision-makers in identifying and implementing adaptation actions;o    enhance adaptation knowledge and skills among Canada’s workforce; and

  o    increase access to climate change adaptation tools and resources.

• The CRCC Program supports regional-scale pilot projects on Canada’s three marine coasts —Atlantic, Pacific and North — and in the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence region. The program aims to enhance the climate resilience of coastal communities and businesses and to accelerate adaptation to reduce climate change risks and coordinate innovative actions.
• The National Adaptation Strategy provides a whole-of-society plan focused on protecting Canadian lives and building more resilient and prosperous communities. Canada released its first NAS on June 27, 2023. Achieving the objectives of the NAS requires whole-of-society action. The Government of Canada is working with provinces, territories, Indigenous partners and the private sector to develop innovative technical, financial and operational solutions that will support adaptation action by communities across the economy.

Related products

• Backgrounder: Canada Invests in Climate Change Adaptation to Keep Communities Safe in Quebec and Across Canada
• Canada Invests in Climate Change Adaptation to Keep Communities Safe in Northern Ontario and Across Canada
• Canada Invests in Climate Change Adaptation to Keep Communities Safe in Southern Ontario and Across Canada
• Canada Invests in Climate Change Adaptation Around Ontario’s Great Lakes
• Canada Invests in Climate Change Adaptation to Keep Communities Safe in Atlantic Canada
• Canada Invests in Climate Change Adaptation to Keep Communities Safe in the Prairies and Across Canada
• Canada Invests in Climate Change Adaptation to Keep Communities Safe in British Columbia and Across Canada

Associated links

• Climate Change Adaptation Program
• Natural Resources Canada Announces up to $15 Million to Help Communities and Businesses Adapt to a Changing Climate
• Climate-Resilient Coastal Communities Program
• National Adaptation Strategy
• Government of Canada Adaptation Action Plan

Contacts
Natural Resources Canada
Media Relations
343-292-6096
media@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca

Joanna Sivasankaran
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
Joanna.Sivasankaran@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca

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