‘We must take action’: Ontario storm spurs calls to better equip cities for extreme weather
Global News
On Tuesday, Toronto and the surrounding area were bombarded by a historic rainstorm that lashed near-record water levels upon the city.
As Toronto recovers from a historic storm that the insurance bureau estimates likely caused more than $1 billion of damage, the Ontario Green Party leader is calling for a shift at the provincial level.
On Tuesday, Toronto and the surrounding area were bombarded by a historic rainstorm that lashed near-record water levels upon the city.
The Don Valley Parkway and Lake Shore Boulevard were closed. Union Station flooded and hundreds of thousands were left without power.
Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said the storm, which saw the fifth rainiest day on record at Toronto Pearson airport record, was a sign of things to come.
“This is what the science is telling us is going to happen more often, this is what the government’s own climate impact assessment is telling us,” Schreiner told Global News.
A previous request from Schreiner to the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO) prompted reports that found city infrastructure across the province was ill-equipped to handle the impacts of increasingly severe weather.
The FAO found that more intense summer heat and fewer freeze-thaw cycles will put more pressure on roads, bridges, buildings and pipes.
“We know from the Financial Accountability Officers report that just this decade alone, we’re going to have to spend an additional $26 billion to make sure our infrastructure is climate-ready,” Schreiner said. “And the government right now doesn’t have a plan.”