City Hall
Cities Matter! City policy influences over 40% of GHG emissions in Canada, through transportation, land use and building. We are in a climate crisis and we need drastic climate action on 'all fronts - everything, everywhere, all at once.' Through transportation, land use and building. We actively monitor city council meetings and public hearings to bring attention to the need for climate change adaptation or mitigation. See our link to the Official Community Plan (OCP) and Transportation Master Plan (TMP).
The City of Kelowna must do its part and KCC is here to ensure that it does. We will shed light on those council leaders who vote for actions that are a step back rather than a step forward . More importantly, our wish is to provide mayor and council with real ideas and actionable plans to help prevent the climate crisis from becoming a climate catastrophe.
Council Meetings
The October 16, 2023, Kelowna City Council meeting was historic!
Councillors Gord Lovegrove and Mohini Singh brought forth a motion that the City of Kelowna should officially declare a Climate Crisis. The motion passed with the vote going eight in favour and one opposed.
The idea of declaring a Climate Crisis led to some lively debate with the mayor listing numerous actions and plans that the city has undertaken in recent years to move the needle on climate change. A few councillors asked with all the city has done, what more could they possibly do? Well, while the city has been taking some actions and making some plans, our GHG emissions have continued to increase so I suppose the answer to that question is we had better start doing more. A lot more. In the coming weeks we will provide our thoughts on some tangible actions that the city can take. Please check back.
Thank you to all those who took the time to email the mayor and council in support of this motion. Lending your voice to this important issue is the only way we can influence municipal policy impacting climate change.
Council Corner
MUNICIPAL POLICY COUNTS! What happens at city hall impacts 40% to 45% of our community’s carbon footprint. Kelowna’s policies on transportation, land use, and building codes today and in the years to come will dictate if we are part of the problem, or part of the solution, to the climate crisis that we all face. Kelowna will increasingly be impacted by climate change and right now we are taking baby steps or at times heading in the wrong direction, making our future worse.
Kelowna is one of the fastest heating areas in BC and we are not immune to the ravages of climate change. The 2021 heat dome, the first of many more to come should we not reign in global heating, left fifteen residents dead. The smoke from the subsequent fires hospitalized many more with respiratory ailments.
Review of OCP/TMP
We recognize these municipal plans can be overwhelming - here's a breakdown of what you need to know.
Mayor Dyas reported to council that several task forces were in the works covering diverse areas of concern, but there was no mention of a citizen’s advisory committee to address the climate crisis nor any indication that our city is prepared to declare a climate emergency.
Why not? Kelowna residents have been waiting for leadership. We have wasted two terms and we can no longer afford to kick this issue down the road. Talking about the climate crisis is fine. Doing something as a community would make an actual difference.