WOLFVILLE, N.S. — Wolfville town council has joined the choir of other jurisdictions across Nova Scotia and the country, officially declaring a climate change emergency.
Mercedes Brian, Wolfville town councillor and chair of the environmental sustainability advisory committee said it was time for the town to put their foot down on the increasingly alarming situation.
“We’re in a state of climate unpredictability and we’ve read the UN intergovernmental panel on climate change, which said we have 12 years to limit climate change catastrophe,” Brian said. “We’ve certainly experienced lots of support, like the school strikes.”
“We’re a coastal town. Sea level rise is going to affect us.”
The declaration was first brought before council in April and passed unanimously on May 21.
Brian said the town is taking actions to make sure the declaration isn’t just empty words.
“Municipalities are really where the rubber hits the road and we can do a lot of things with the buildings that Wolfville owns and operates,” she said. “I wanted to make sure this declaration was backed up by action.”
The town installed electric panels on their public works building and have partnered with Acadia University to install an electric vehicle fast-charging station.
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Wolfville also recently hired a climate change mitigation coordinator, in partnership with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM).
Omar Bhimji is the new staff member, who will focus on the partners on climate protection (PCP) milestones, including taking greenhouse gas inventories, bringing forward recommendations to council, and measure improvements.
Wolfville joins the communities of Mahone Bay and Halifax, who have previously declared a climate emergency in their own jurisdictions. The town of Bridgewater also has its own Municipal Climate Action Plan and is sharing some of its successes and strategies with Wolfville.
The government of Canada is also expected to make a similar declaration.
“I think we’ll have lots of company on this issue very soon,” she said.
