‘We must take action’: Ontario storm spurs calls to better equip cities for extreme weather

As Toronto recovers from a historical storm that nan security bureau estimates apt caused much than $1 cardinal of damage, nan Ontario Green Party leader is calling for a displacement astatine nan provincial level.

On Tuesday, Toronto and nan surrounding area were bombarded by a historical rainstorm that lashed near-record h2o levels upon nan city.

The Don Valley Parkway and Lake Shore Boulevard were closed. Union Station flooded and hundreds of thousands were near without power.

Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said nan storm, which saw nan 5th rainiest time connected grounds astatine Toronto Pearson airdrome record, was a motion of things to come.

“This is what nan subject is telling america is going to hap much often, this is what nan government’s ain ambiance effect appraisal is telling us,” Schreiner told Global News.

A erstwhile petition from Schreiner to nan Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO) prompted reports that recovered metropolis infrastructure crossed nan state was ill-equipped to grip nan impacts of progressively terrible weather.

The FAO recovered that much aggravated summertime power and less freeze-thaw cycles will put much unit connected roads, bridges, buildings and pipes.

“We cognize from nan Financial Accountability Officers study that conscionable this decade alone, we’re going to person to walk an further $26 cardinal to make judge our infrastructure is climate-ready,” Schreiner said. “And nan authorities correct now doesn’t person a plan.”

The study said acting now, alternatively of dealing pinch nan aftermath, would prevention Ontario money.

In a business wherever nan state does not statesman to proactively scheme and build for nan utmost upwind events apt to go much communal pinch climate change, nan watchdog estimates infrastructure could costs an other $4.1 cardinal per year.

Proactive readying and adaptation, however, could prevention much than a cardinal dollars and time off nan yearly costs of ambiance alteration connected infrastructure person to $3 billion, nan study said.

Schreiner said Tuesday’s large wind is “exactly” why he asked nan FAO to look astatine nan authorities of infrastructure successful nan property of ambiance alteration successful nan first place.

The Green MPP said it was incumbent upon nan the provincial authorities to connection much money to section governments truthful they tin guarantee their stormwater systems, roads and different infrastructure are resilient.

“Our spot taxation guidelines simply can’t spend to person our infrastructure climate-ready — it’s not conscionable nan City of Toronto, it’s communities crossed Ontario,” he said.

He suggested bringing backmost nan yearly $120 licence sheet renewal fee, which nan state trim successful 2022. It brought successful an estimated $1.1 cardinal per year.

Both Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and Prime Justin Trudeau echoed nan telephone to look astatine ways to make metropolis infrastructure much resilient.

“Weather events for illustration this are going to hap much often because of ambiance change, and we must return action to build nan resiliency of our city, and activity to mitigate nan impacts of these storms,” Chow said this week.

Trudeau made akin comments while visiting Toronto and predicted communities should expect “more utmost upwind events” owed to ambiance change, urging finance “in resilient infrastructure that tin grip what nan early is holding.”

The mayor, however, was besides speedy to praise nan Ford authorities for nan costs it had already sent to nan city.

A spokesperson for nan provincial authorities told Global News it is “already taking steps” to hole communities crossed Ontario for nan impacts of ambiance change.

“Ontario is presently implementing a scope of flood management, greenish infrastructure, and emergency guidance initiatives to amended protect people, communities, and infrastructure truthful that Ontario tin stay resilient successful nan look of progressively terrible upwind events,” they said successful a statement.