CHECK OUT OUR PAST EVENTS

Summaries and presentations from adaptation events:

Missed a recent event? You can find presentation slides and video recordings of our past workshops and webinars right here.

2023

Climate Considerations for Asset Management Workshop Series

September 26 & October 3, 2022 | Online

To support Northeastern BC communities to better identify, understand, and plan for climate related risks to infrastructure and services, the Fraser Basin CouncilPinna Sustainability, and the Northeast Climate Resilience Network hosted a two-part virtual workshop series for municipal staff across the region in Fall 2023. The workshops were facilitated by Pinna Sustainability.

The challenge of managing assets and infrastructure in Northeastern BC is being amplified by the impacts of a changing climate. These two workshops, based on a peer cohort learning model, supported participants to understand regional climate projections, identify climate related risks to infrastructure and services, and incorporate climate change into strategic and operational asset management planning and budgeting.

This initiative was offered through the Municipal Asset Management Program, which is delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and funded by the Government of Canada. Visit the event website to learn more!

Workshop #1 – September 26, 2023

This workshop introduced the Climate Projections for the BC Northeast Region Report, and participants discussed recent climate impacts in Northeastern BC. Next, Kim Fowler, Manager of Long Range Planning, Energy & Sustainability at the Regional District of Nanaimo, presented an Asset Management Review & Refresher. Participants finished by reviewing FCM’s Asset Management Readiness Scale and completing an activity to determine their municipality’s readiness level in each outcome area of the Readiness Scale.

Watch the guest presentation recording here.

Workshop #2 – October 3, 2023

This workshop began with a presentation on Natural Asset Management from Emanuel Machado, Chief Administrative Officer and Resilience Officer at the Town of Gibsons, and Michelle Lewis, Natural Asset Technician at the Town of Gibsons. After the presentation and Q&A, participants completed an activity on applying asset management and natural asset management in local climate action planning.

Watch the guest presentation recording here.

Workshop #1 & 2 slides:

2022

Webinar: Release of the BC Chapter of Canada in a Changing Climate: Regional Perspectives Report

May 18, 2022 | Online

This webinar marks the official release of the B.C. Chapter of the Regional Perspectives Report. Hear directly from the authors about how climate change is affecting B.C. and how communities & sectors are increasingly taking action to adapt.

The Regional Perspectives Report, led by Natural Resources Canada, provides an overview of climate change impacts and adaptation in Canada by region. It is part of the National Assessment Process, Canada in a Changing Climate: Advancing our Knowledge for Action, led by Natural Resources Canada, that assesses how and why Canada’s climate is changing; the impacts of these changes on our communities, environment and economy; and how we’re adapting across the country.

Watch the webinar recording or visit the event website.

Presentation slides:

2021

Webinar: Citizen Science in B.C.’s Provincial Parks: The BC Parks iNaturalist Project

March 17, 2021 | Online

This webinar showcase a collaborative project between BC Parks and iNaturalist to photograph and document BC wildlife as well as the conservation and climate adaptation work that BC Parks undertakes regularly. BC Park’s citizen science initiative, iNaturalist, mobilizes residents to not only provide valuable information about wildlife in their regions but also learn more about why we protect and conserve BC’s public lands in our changing climate.

Watch the webinar recording.

Presentation slides:

Webinar: Mental Health & Our Changing Climate – Impacts, Implications and Practices

March 12, 2021 | Online

This webinar looked at examples of how some organizations and communities are working with the psychological dimensions of climate change in emergency response, adaptation and capacity building and reflected on practices and tools that practitioners can use to intentionally work with and address the psychological aspects of climate change. It was hosted in collaboration with Kerri Klein of the BC Climate and Health Network.

Watch the webinar recording.

Presentation slides:

Webinar: Northeast BC: Resilience, Climate and the Future

February 17, 2021 | Online

This webinar focused on the science behind climate change projections, regional projections for the Northeast region, vulnerabilities that Northeast communities face, and the resilience work that is being done on-the-ground to prepare for the future.

Watch the webinar recording.

Presentation slides:

Coastal First Nations Climate Adaptation Workshop Series

February 2021 | Online

Fraser Basin Council partnered with Coastal First Nations-Great Bear Initiative (CFN-GBI) to co-host and co-organize a virtual climate preparedness workshop series. The goal of this series were to present changes taking place and future climate scenarios, as well as actionable steps for climate preparedness, in a First Nations-centred and fun way to a coastal audience while promoting connections.

Our three 2-hour virtual workshop sessions included:

  • February 11, 2021: What We’re up Against: Creating Understanding of Local Climate Impacts
  • February 18, 2021: First Nations Climate Projects on the Coast: Recognizing the Commitment to Climate Solutions
  • February 25, 2021: Working on Community Resilience Interests: Moving Forward Together

Read our workshop summary report.

Webinar: Promoting Salmon Resilience in a Changing Climate

January 12, 2021 | Online

This webinar focused on a general overview of how salmon are being impacted by climate change and other compounding issues including flood control infrastructure, work that is being done on-the-ground in the Lower Fraser watershed to increase the resilience of salmon in a changing climate, the importance of ensuring that salmon and their health are integrated into decision-making surrounding waterways, and specific actions that organizations can take to assist salmon resilience.

Watch the webinar recording.

Presentation slides:

Métis Nation BC Climate Preparedness Workshop Series

January 2021 | Online

Fraser Basin Council partnered with Métis Nation BC (MNBC) to co-host and co-organize a virtual climate preparedness workshop series, called “Strengthening Our Resilience to Climate Change”. The goals of this series were to engage Métis Nation members across the province in learning about climate change projections and future impacts, sharing success stories of Indigenous climate resilience, and discussing regional priorities in moving forward with climate change preparedness.

Our three 2-hour virtual workshop sessions included:

  • January 14, 2021: Climate Change & Métis Nation – Lived Experiences and Projected Changes
  • January 21, 2021: Climate Change, Salmon and Food Security – Ways Forward
  • January 28, 2021: Cross-Generational Visions of a Resilient and Beautiful Future

Read our workshop summary report.

2020

Workshop: Preparing for Future Climate in the Territory of the Northern Secwepemc te Qelmucw

March 6, 2020 | Williams Lake

Climate change is exposing communities in the territory of the Northern Secwepemc te Qelmucw to changes in weather patterns and more frequent extreme events. The region has witnessed recent wildfire and flooding events, and changing climate hazards have created the need to integrate climate change adaptation into policy, planning, and natural resource management. This introductory workshop focused on climate adaptation topics relevant to the Northern Secwepemc te Qelmucw and nearby communities.

Presentation slides:

Read the workshop summary report.

Webinar: Preparing for Climate Risk in BC: The Northeast Climate Risk Network

January 30, 2020

Six municipalities in Northeastern BC have been strengthening regional collaboration on resilience and climate risk over the past 2 years as partners in the Northeast BC Climate Risk Network. Learn more in this webinar about the foundational climate preparedness work that was done by the Northeast Climate Risk Network, including how the municipalities came together as a Network, the regional climate projections for the area, the risks identified, the impact of working together as a region and the next steps for municipalities.

Watch the webinar recording.

Presentation slides:

Webinar: Climate Change and Health Adaptation: Working with BC First Nations

January 21, 2020

Paivi Abernethy, Climate Change & Health Specialist with the First Nations Health Authority, introduces a systems approach to climate change health impacts and highlights the role of sustainable environmental governance in addressing climate change challenges, together with BC examples of contemporary Indigenous climate leadership.

Watch the webinar recording

2019

Webinar: Living with the Rain: Adapting to Increased Future Rainfall in the Greater Vancouver Area

November 21, 2019

Andrew Ling, Senior Project Engineer at Metro Vancouver, and Melina Scholefield, Manager of Green Infrastructure Implementation at the City of Vancouver, present on cutting-edge work that both government bodies are doing to prepare for increased precipitation in the Greater Vancouver region.

Watch the webinar recording.

Presentation slides:

Webinar: Planning and Implementing Fuel Treatment Activities in BC’s Diverse Ecosystems

June 20, 2019

Building on the webinar “Effectiveness of fuel treatments in mitigating wildfire severity – Lessons from large wildfire events in the interior Pacific Northwest,” Kelly Osbourne and Rory Colwell of the BC Wildfire Service speak further on the effectiveness of fuel treatment activities in combination with FireSmart principles in other ecosystems in British Columbia, including coastal, boreal and wetter interior forests.

Watch the webinar recording

View the presentation slides (PDF)

Webinar: Effectiveness of fuel treatments in mitigating wildfire severity – Lessons from large wildfire events in the interior Pacific Northwest

May 16, 2019

Susan Prichard will share her research on the effects of fire and other disturbances on forest dynamics; climatic change on forest ecosystems; and fuel treatment options to mitigate wildfire effects, with an emphasis on inland forests.

Watch the webinar recording

View the presentation slides (PDF)

Webinar: Identifying Barriers to Community Action – Learning from Wildland-Urban Interface Disasters in the Past

May 2, 2019

Wildfire disasters like Fort McMurray and Kelowna provided unique opportunities to evaluate wildfire risk mitigations in a Canadian setting. Al Westhaver will share results of his post-fire studies and provide insights into barriers and challenges to increased community risk reduction action – gained from his many years of work with Alberta/British Columbia communities and collaboration with international fire agencies.

Watch the webinar recording

View the presentation slides (PDF)

Webinar: FireSmart in BC

April 18, 2019

FireSmart Canada leads the national efforts to engage citizens and communities in reducing wildfire risk reduction. Kelly Johnson will describe the national programs and opportunities for communities. In BC, FireSmart programs are championed by BC FireSmart Committee. Kelsey Winter will outline new initiatives in BC to expand FireSmart activities across the province.

Watch the webinar recording

View the presentation slides (PDF)

Workshop: Getting Climate Ready: Future Climate in the North Okanagan

March 12, 2019 | Vernon

The North Okanagan has witnessed recent flooding and wildfire events, and climate change hazards have created the need to integrate climate change adaptation into policy, planning, landscape design, and public works maintenance. This introductory workshop focused on climate adaptation topics relevant to the Regional District of North Okanagan. Feedback collected from participants in the workshop will directly inform the climate adaptation component of the Regional District’s Regional Growth Strategy 5-Year Review.

Workshop summary report.

Presentation slides:

Webinar: Landscape and Community Scale Wildfire Risk Reduction for Whistler, BC

March 7, 2019

Whistler is located in an area with high wildfire risks and significant community and provincial values. Heather Beresford, Bruce Blackwell and Tom Cole will review how the Resort Municipality has assessed wildfire risk then planned and implemented wildfire risk reduction activities at both the landscape and community scales, including FireSmart, high priority area fuel treatments and fuel break logging.

Watch the webinar recording.

View the presentation slides (PDF)

Webinar: Ecosystem Restoration with Wildfire

February 21, 2019

Al Neal shares his many decades of experience in planning and implementing ecosystem restoration in interior forests, highlighting the use of prescribed fire. He describes the evolution of these practices, emphasizing lesson learned.

Watch the webinar recording

View the PowerPoint slides (PDF)

Webinar: The Benefits of Green Shores: Two Projects Start to Finish

January 24, 2019 | Vancouver

This webinar, led by DG Blair and Kelly Loch of the Stewardship Centre for BC, is for everyone who would like to understand how Green Shores® could enhance shoreline resilience in their communities. Topics include: a brief overview on the use of Green Shores credit and rating systems, the application of Green Shores for Coastal Development in a park restoration project, and a Green Shores for Homes case study in a coastal erosion project. Information on Green Shores training opportunities through Stewardship Centre for BC and University of Victoria is also provided.

Watch the webinar recording.

Presentation slides:

2018

Webinar: Applying the Climate Lens Resilience Assessment in a BC Context

December 4, 2018

The Federal Government recently introduced a Climate Lens for those seeking funding for new major public infrastructure projects. In this webinar, François Levesque of Infrastructure Canada and Dirk Nyland of the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure will delve into the Climate Change Resilience Assessment component of the Climate Lens. François and Dirk will take you from a high-level and contextual look at the Resilience Assessment to on-the-ground examples of BC projects that have used the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure’s climate assessment and resilience measures to demonstrate how the assessment could be interpreted or applied for small-scale projects.

Watch the webinar recording.

Presentation slides:

Workshop: Getting Climate Ready: Adaptation Tools for Northwest Communities

November 29, 2018 | Terrace

Climate change is exposing communities in Northwest BC to changes in weather patterns and more frequent extreme events. Changing climate hazards have created the need to integrate climate change adaptation into policy, planning, landscape design, and public works maintenance. This introductory workshop addressed the future climate trends for the Northwest region and focused on flood and wildfire risk management. It also featured expert resource people who spoke to funding opportunities for adaptation, infrastructure and climate change, fish and wildlife, and on-the-ground projects.

Presentation slides:

Webinar: Three Important Factors for Adapting to Climate Change: Location, Location, Location

October 24, 2018

The Federal Government recently introduced a Climate Lens for those seeking funding for new major public infrastructure projects. In this webinar, François Levesque of Infrastructure Canada and Dirk Nyland of the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure will delve into the Climate Change Resilience Assessment component of the Climate Lens. François and Dirk will take you from a high-level and contextual look at the Resilience Assessment to on-the-ground examples of BC projects that have used the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure’s climate assessment and resilience measures to demonstrate how the assessment could be interpreted or applied for small-scale projects.

Watch the webinar recording.

Presentation slides:

Webinar: Learning from the Fort McMurray wildland-urban interface fire

March 15, 2018

In this webinar, Alan Westhaver will summarize what he learned firsthand about the survival and ignition of homes in the Fort McMurray wildfire. His behind the scene investigation, facilitated and sponsored by the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, sought to answer the vital question: ‘Why did some homes survive this wildland/urban interface fire with little or no damage, while others were vulnerable to ignition and destroyed?’ Observations concentrated on homes near the edge of neighbourhoods where wildland fire first spread to, and established among, structures.

Watch the webinar recording. See the webinar slide deck.

Public Talk: What’s Climate Got To Do With It?

March 5, 2018 | Fort St. John

Trevor Murdock from the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium spoke about what we may see in terms of future climate changes for the Northeast region.

Presentation slides:

Webinar: Building Climate Resilience at Island Health

February 28, 2018

Increasingly, climate change risks and hazards are impacting the public health sector, and they will have a significant impact on health facilities, both on its safety during extreme events and during daily operations. In this webinar, hear from Island Health about how they are tackling these risks through their climate change adaptation efforts. Their initiatives include the first-ever Public Infrastructure Engineering Vulnerability Committee (PIEVC) assessment of a hospital in Canada for Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, a climate projection mapping project, a review of health sector-specific adaptation tools, an extreme weather events impact surveys, and ongoing planning for the next stages of their adaptation work.

Watch the webinar recording. See the webinar slide deck.

Workshop: Legal Implications of Climate Change

February 22, 2018 | Vancouver

Fraser Basin Council and Engineers and Geoscientists BC hosted this one-day workshop for professionals on how climate change could impact their professional roles and responsibilities. The purpose of the workshop was to highlight how climate change can impact professional roles and responsibilities as well as to encourage professionals to integrate climate change considerations into their analyses and decision-making and to make the case for adaptation within their organizations. Zizzo Strategy presented on the legal framework for climate change adaptation and negligence and professional responsibility. In addition, West Coast Environmental Law spoke to the context of BC-specific legislation, relevant regulations and case law.

Workshop: Getting Climate Ready: Adaptation Tools for Coastal Communities

January 31, 2018 | Courtenay

Climate change is exposing Vancouver Island communities to changes in weather patterns and more frequent extreme events, such as flood. There is a need to integrate climate change adaptation into policy, planning, landscape design and public works maintenance. This workshop focused on flood risk management, including the new provincial flood hazard area land use management guidelines.

Presentation slides:

Webinar: Information and Funding for First Nations Climate Change Adaptation Planning

January 25, 2018

This webinar provides an opportunity for communities to learn more about Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada’s First Nation Adapt Program and to gain a better understanding of the future BC-specific climate information available through the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium. The First Nation Adapt Program provides climate change adaptation funding for communities to identify region-specific priorities, impacts and opportunities for climate change projects. The program also works closely with communities to integrate the best scientific and Indigenous Knowledge on climate indicators, flooding exposure, and future climate projections. Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium provides climate information to communities to better understand climate change specific to their region, how the region will be impacted, and what they can do to prepare.

Watch the webinar recording. See the webinar slide deck.