Councillor urging city to declare climate emergency
If declaration approved, Ottawa would join growing list of municipalities
An Ottawa city councillor wants the nation's capital to join the growing list of Canadian cities that have declared climate emergencies.
Capital ward Coun. Shawn Menard is planning to introduce a motion at the next meeting of the city's committee on environmental protection, water and waste management.
If approved by city council, Ottawa would join a number of Canadian cities that have made similar declarations including Vancouver, Halifax and Hamilton.
Closer to home, Kingston, Ont., passed a similar motion at a council meeting last month.
Recognizing the "existential threat posed by climate change" would hopefully allow city staff to better co-ordinate their efforts in areas such as public health and renewable energy, Menard said in a statement.
The committee will discuss the motion at its April 16 meeting.