Climate change a ‘clear and present danger’ to shorelines

Calling the impact of climate change on shorelines a “clear and present danger,” Lincoln Mayor Sandra Easton has received regional council’s support in passing a motion that calls on the federal and provincial governments for money and support to help address the issue.

Her motion is part of an effort by a binational coalition of mayors that make up the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative requesting Ottawa liaise with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on a study of how to improve coastal resilience in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin.

The motion, which passed easily, asks the federal government and provincial governments in Ontario and Quebec to fund a similar Canadian study.

Easton’s motion said municipalities are front-line actors that bear most of the cost of adapting their infrastructure and communities, but have the least amount of financial resources to tackle the problems.

“It’s a request to launch a comprehensive study of the impacts of climate change on shoreline communities, infrastructure and habitat in the basin,” said Easton.

An assessment survey by the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative in 2021 showed communities along the lakes plan to spend $2.56 billion over the next five years to respond to coastal hazards.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has a cost-sharing agreement with the eight Great Lakes states south of the border to fund its $10.6-million study.

St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe said it is embarrassing that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is embarking on a coastal resiliency program while Canada relies on piecemeal work from communities along the Great Lakes Basin.

“I think the federal government needs to be involved,” Siscoe said. “They’ve committed $400 million in the most recent budget and committed to forming a Canadian water agency. We need that agency to stand up as quickly as possible.

“We need the help because the simple reality is just this past week we were receiving warnings that Port Dalhousie may wind up underwater again this year because of a lack of co-ordination on the Canadian side with respect to our coastal resiliency.”

At the south end of the region, Niagara Coastal — a community organization of NGOs, government, landowners, academics and community members committed to improving the health of Lake Erie’s coast — has said the lake’s north shore has experienced record-breaking storms resulting in extreme shoreline erosion, loss of vegetation/habitat, and property and infrastructure damage.

The organization’s volunteers have undertaken activities such as planting beach grass. The grass acts as a windbreak, stabilizing erosion through a web of root systems. As a result, the grass is more resilient than man-made protections such as jetties and stone breakwalls.

Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority has detailed shoreline management plans for Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

Lincoln Coun. Rob Foster, who chairs NPCA, supported the motion but wanted the council to refer it to staff for a report. Council turned him down.

“The simple reality on this is that there’s a wide variety of pieces that we’re talking about that are financial in nature,” Foster said. “If we’re going to be serious about these types of motions … and particularly pieces in and around the climate and environment, the expectation is that we will have to back this up and consider funding on our part. I think this requires more discussion.”

Siscoe said he respected Foster’s point but urged council to pass the motion. Municipalities such as St. Catharines already have considerable “skin in the game.”

“I know from my community standpoint, and I know from Coun. Easton’s community standpoint, we are already paying for these projects,” Siscoe said. “We are already trying to move this down the field, and I encourage my colleagues to vote in favour of this.”

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