Summer Village of Bondiss Climate Adaptation Plan

In partnership with All One Sky Foundation, the Summer Village of Bondiss has developed this Climate Adaptation Plan for the community. This Plan serves as the overarching document that guides the Village in preparing for the impacts of climate change. Importantly, Bondiss has engaged in community outreach to enhance the capacity of their residents to understand local climate changes and impacts, and the actions needed to adapt to these changes. A climate change impact assessment was performed as part of this process to help Council and the Chief Administrative Officer gain a clearer understanding of local vulnerability, as well as the risks and opportunities that may arise from climate change.

Scope

Spatial scope – Climate impacts occurring within the municipal boundaries of the Summer Village of Bondiss, and including impacts to Skeleton Lake.

Operational scope – Community-wide scope considering all potential climate change impacts on the ‘community’: assets, services, operations, economy, well-being of residents, natural environment, etc.

Risks

9 climate impact scenarios based on results of community survey – Increased lake temperatures; Wildfire smoke; Reduced lake levels in Skeleton Lake; Wildfire; Changing ecosystems affecting aquatic wildlife, habitat, and lake health; Prolonged power outages; Prolonged drought; Windstorm; and Extreme rainfall and stormwater flooding.

Climate impacts identified as very high priority for action – Increased lake temperatures, Drought, Wildfire smoke, and Flooding.

Opportunities

Impacts that are expected to improve as a result of climate change, such as extreme cold events and freeze-thaw cycles, are beyond the scope of this work.

Scenarios for climate impacts that may produce benefits for the village, such as a longer agricultural growing season and summer tourism/recreation season, were not considered in the impact assessment process. However, ideas on how to take advantage of climate benefits have been incorporated in the action planning process (Section 6).

Actions

7 actions.

Action types categorized as Education & Awareness, Infrastructure, and Policy & Advocacy.

Social Equity

Potential consequence of wildfire smoke – Increased respiratory related health impacts, particularly in vulnerable populations.

Community Engagement

Online community survey, meetings with All One Sky and key stakeholders, and communication of the project to residents via social media and the community newsletter.

Implementation

Actions include cost and timeframe for implementation, and priority climate change impact addressed.

Emphasis on actions that are easy to implement right away, including an Action Plan for Village residents to stay informed, be prepared, and to protect their home, properties and the lake from climate impacts.