The final of eight articles from the National Observer’s Special Report: Bolder, faster, together focuses on the problematic lack of training of local residents and officials who form the de facto front line in any emergency. “While words like climate mitigation and adaptation may be commonplace for academics and environmentalists, they aren’t part of the training that most city administrators, councillors or social service agency staff receive. And yet, when the waters start flowing or the fires start raging, it’s these people who must act.” The article argues that a “collective impact” approach is more effective and describes several successful examples across Canada as evidence of exactly that.

However, there’s are more basic, but unacknowledged, elements missing in this analysis: the lack of the required authority and financial means for those working at the local level. Their absence cripples efforts to deal effectively with major problems. Federal and (especially) provincial governments jealously withhold those means and render communities incapable of dealing with the larger problems – problems that may be actually caused or exacerbated by the same withholding of resources.

As in the cited article, there’s no shortage of examples, including communities facing floods, homelessness, overdose crises, or disaster recovery.

Rather than the need for local training, it’s the self-serving sequestering of authority and funds at the provincial and federal levels that first needs to be addressed. Were upper levels of government to grant authority and financing at the local level, the training and collaborative programs would emerge on their own. Ottawa and Victoria must stop off-loading the responsibility for solving local problems without also providing the authority and funding that make solutions possible.

Cities and communities across Canada taking a whole-community approach to climate action. Canada’s National Observer. March 21, 2022. “Whether it’s wildfires, floods, droughts or coastal storms, communities are being asked to respond without having the basic knowledge or expertise on where to start.”