Dire climate report signals need for urgent action in Ottawa Valley

Michel Simonotstands in front of his home in Ottawa's south end.Blue patching covers where his roof was torn open whena tornado ripped through the neighbourhood last month.

Researchers have predicted similar damagemaybecome more common asclimate change appears to becausing more tornado activityin Ontario.

Now, a new 530-page provincial report is warningthe impacts of climate change will only get worse.

The report findsthat eastern Ontario could facean average ofup to 60 days of extreme heat (over 30 C)peryear by 2080 under what's commonly known as the "worst-case" scenario where emissions rise until 2100.

Locally, that would mean last week's record heat would be a lot more common, as those types of temperatures would happen three times as often as they do now on average placing vulnerable people, businesses, infrastructure and agriculture at further risk.

In a summerwhere the Ottawa Valley has experiencedmultiple tornadoes,wildfiresmokeand flash flooding, Simonot said it'stime for urgent action.

"It's good to hear that they're starting to pay attention to it. My only question is howfast are they going to take it serious?" he asked.

"Is the weather going to change faster than the politics?"

Some not concerned

The report paints a grim future, including the possibilityoflivestock fatalities and crop failure.

Cornin particular has a high chance ofup to a50 per centdrop in production, and eastern Ontario's 450,000 acres of cornfields puts it second in the province.

One prediction isdrier weather makingfor smaller ears, more stalk rot and more corn leaf aphids.

Not everyone is so sure.

"I don't believe that," said Embrun farmer Michel Dignard, who grows corn. "Right now we got better yield than we had before."

As for animals, Dignard said his barns already able to withstand extreme heat will "be, like always, a 5 star hotel" with the ventilation system he has in place.

Dignardsaid there's an undeniable change in climate, but inthe 40 years he'sbeen in businessthe only constant is change.

"There's always something different, so we'll have to adapt," he said."No problem there."

City 'doing what it can'

Despite mixed reaction, the report paints a similarpicture to a 2020 studycommissioned by the City of Ottawa and the National Capital Commission.

That report said if global emissions peak by 2050, broadly seen as the moderate scenario, the region should go from 18 extreme heat days a year to 36 by2080 double what it sees now, but nearly half as many as the worst-case.

That report indicated the increase in heat waves and flooding would put pressure on everything from emergency services to thefoundations of buildings.

Coun.ShawnMenard, who also chairs the city's environment and climate change committee, said "the city is doing what it can right now" to adapt.

Those efforts, he said, includepushing for building retrofits, working to reduce the risk of flooding and enhancingOttawa's resiliency to powerful windstorms likelast year's derecho.

Menardsaid the city now needs to "invest in the mitigation for what we're going to see in the future, which is a health risk for our residents."

Coun. Steve Desrochessaid there needs to be a stronger partnership between the city and the province to make change. Hecalledfor an investment strategy to help cities such asOttawamake infrastructure more resilient to extreme weather events.

Simonot, who has a young son,said climate action needs to happen quicker.

"People are saying[climate change is]going to get worse as time goes on," he said. "So I do worry about what's going to happen."

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