First ever Kawartha Lakes Healthy Environment Plan

Plans are now underway to develop the community’s first Healthy Environment Plan that aims to understand, mitigate and adapt to climate change. Last week a working group of more than 50 stakeholders from across the City came together to begin building the foundation of the plan.

This working group consists of environmental enthusiasts, farmers, business owners, school board and healthcare professionals, municipal staff, conservation authorities and utility providers.

The group was exposed to the Kawartha Lakes inventory of greenhouse gas emissions and worked on eight theme areas including transportation, agriculture, buildings, waste, economic development, health and wellness.

The group will meet frequently throughout the rest of the year to set out climate adaptation and mitigation strategies that fit our community. There will be extensive community engagement along the way and the public will be encouraged to participate at various forums in the coming months.

“We are going to be gathering input from those with various interests in protecting our environment. We are all in this together and it will take a community effort to set and reach our goals,” says Gord Miller, councillor and energy steward.

Earlier this year, the City of Kawartha Lakes was selected to receive $175,000 through the Green Municipal Fund (GMF) to complete important foundational work for the City’s Healthy Environment Plan.