The town of Niagara-on-the-Lake has hired a new staff member to take the lead on how the municipality tackles the rising tide of climate change.
Kassie Burns has entered the role of climate change co-ordinator for the town, a new municipal position that was meant to be filled in 2023 but was cut from that year’s budget, deferred a year and approved in last year’s budget.
As part of this year’s operating budget, it was approved by councillors at a cost of $100,000.
Burns, who started in her role Feb. 3, is a former employee of the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre and previously worked with the Niagara Parks Commission on environmental stewardship. She holds a master’s degree from Brock University’s sustainability program.
“It’s such a great accomplishment for the town,” she said in an interview with The Lake Report. “I’m so honoured to be a part of it, to really drive climate action forward.”
In this role, she will guide the town to becoming more resilient against the effects of climate change by making the environment a greater consideration in its future decisions, carrying out the goals set in the town’s 2022 climate change adaptation plan.
This involves updating the town’s official plan, revising bylaws and working on new policies to make sure infrastructure uses green technology and is built with the environmental threats of climate change in mind.
Burns will also play a key role in four parts of the municipality’s strategic plan (which overlap with the climate change plan’s goals) — the invasive species management plan, natural assets management strategy, coastal protection program and waterfront master plan.
“This new position reflects council’s dedication to long-term sustainability, protecting natural assets and building a climate-resilient community,” said Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa in a news release.
The town’s climate change plan details the environmental threats the town is likely to face in the upcoming years because of climate change — including flooding, torrential rain, windstorms and severe heat — and six goals for mitigating these negative effects and preparing to face them.
Burns’ focus for the next six months will mostly be on invasive species and natural assets (rivers, wetlands, forests and more).
The arrival of invasive species, including plants and insects, in Niagara has become a growing concern, as they can hurt local ecosystems — Niagara Parks highlights the emerald ash borer, oak wilt, phragmites and more in its list of significant invasive threats.
She said these plans will keep evolving and more details, goals and ways to measure progress will come over time.
Right now, the focus is just evaluating everything in the strategic plan.
“Just working towards what our priorities are,” she said. “As things come up, I’m sure I’ll be more involved.”
