The City of Surrey, located south-east of Vancouver, is one of Canada’s fastest growing and most culturally diverse cities. This immersive session treats Surrey as a case study to spotlight multisolving in action. Delegates join City of Surrey staff on a guided bus tour of climate adaptation and flood resilience strategies and projects being implemented in South Surrey, including a guided walk along Boundary Bay to explore the Living Dyke, a discussion of coastal flood adaptation in Crescent Beach, and an excursion to a regenerative agricultural pilot project at Mound Farm Park. Join us for an enriching experience that highlights Surrey’s commitment to creating holistic resilience solutions for its residents.

Join us for this spotlight on North Vancouver, located just across the Burrard Inlet, where municipal staff have been working to prioritize active transportation and biodiversity conservation as core components of their broader climate action. This tour through North Vancouver starts with an electric bus trip across the Inlet. Hop off the bus at Lower Lonsdale and explore this vibrant waterfront neighbourhood’s innovative “complete street” designs, where integrated mobility meets innovative rainwater management strategies. Next, visit The Shipyards – a newly revitalised waterfront area, which leveraged development to create a multifunctional, vibrant, sustainable precinct. Continue from there by bike to explore the North Shore via the Spirit Trail, an inviting greenway that exemplifies the region’s commitment to safe and accessible active transportation. Along the way, learn about local initiatives to protect biodiversity, which illustrate how vibrant urban environments can thrive alongside nature. Stop in the town centre of Moodyville to explore a park redevelopment project and an area-wide rezoning strategy that was used to support future growth, sustainability, urban greening and active transportation. Finally, a stop in the second town centre of Lynn Creek showcases the ongoing development of a transit-oriented, mixed-use community. Explore the community’s transformation and plans to expand the Spirit Trail in the area to improve equitable access to nature and support a shift to active transportation.

The way we talk about climate action matters, especially when we want to connect with audiences that have different backgrounds, perspectives, and priorities. In this immersive session, explore how to apply behavioural insights to create effective climate communication strategies that drive meaningful and impactful climate action. Get equipped with actionable communication strategies you can implement in your community. Let’s rethink our approach to climate communications!

Speakers and moderators include:

• Curniss McGoldrick, Communications Manager, ICLEI Canada
• Anna-Sarah Eyrich, Senior Policy Analyst, Environment and Climate Change Canada
• Brett Huson, President, Aluutaa
• Ewa Jackson, Managing Director, ICLEI Canada
• Ian Mauro, Executive Director, Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions, Professor of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria

Presentations:

• Rethink your Climate Communications

Walk around False Creek to learn from the Sea2City Design Challenge – a project that has been recognized nationally and internationally for setting a precedent for multidisciplinary collaboration and addressing intricate issues related to climate change, decolonization, and urban ecology.

Join representatives from the City of Vancouver and the False Creek Design Team for an immersive session that takes delegates to Coopers Park, a Sea2City study site and the home of a future Sea2City seawall softening pilot project. From Coopers, hop on a ferry and zoom to the south side of False Creek to look at the Stamps Landing site.

The year-long Sea2City project engaged diverse participants in reimagining the future of the False Creek waterfront in response to rising sea levels. The result is not a single solution, but rather a renewed approach and deeper understanding of the relationships and connections that sustain us – and how this knowledge might be applied to help tackle the complex challenges ahead. Sea2City offers precedent towards comprehensive, community-driven design approaches.

Seeing is believing: join us as we explore some of Vancouver’s leading examples of low-carbon building development. Participate for the unique opportunity to engage with local experts and practitioners and observe innovative projects firsthand.

The tour begins with a visit to the Sen̓áḵw development project for a tour of this historic site on 10.5 acres of Kitsilano Reserve lands that was returned to the Squamish Nation in 2003 after a long court battle beginning in the 1970s. Led by a partnership between the Squamish Nation, Nch’ḵay̓ Development Corporation, and Westbank, the project, which is currently under construction, will see the development of one of the first large-scale, net-zero, mixed-use developments, including 6,000 primarily purpose-built rental units. After a short bus ride, the tour stops at 777 Dunsmuir for a site tour of a leading example of a zero-carbon commercial building retrofit. Following this, a short walk to the Creative Energy facilities affords an opportunity to learn about Creative’s low carbon district energy system technologies and business models.

Join us for an immersive workshop that delves into the transformative potential of multisolving to advance climate action. Multisolving goes beyond traditional problem-solving approaches by addressing multiple challenges with each action, achieving co-benefits across sectors such as health, equity, and economic development while tackling climate issues. In this interactive session, participants explore real-world examples and case studies where multisolving strategies have been successfully applied. Through guided discussions and hands-on activities, seize the opportunity to analyze complex climate challenges and brainstorm innovative solutions that maximize co-benefits. Learn how multisolving can enhance resilience, foster community engagement, and promote community well-being.

Whether you’re new to multisolving or looking to deepen your understanding, join us to gain practical insights and tools that you can apply in your own climate initiatives. Together, let’s explore how multisolving can be a powerful tool for creating resilient and equitable communities in the face of climate change.

Speakers and moderators include:

• Stephanie Gower, Program Manager, Environment & Climate Division, City of Toronto
• Hiba Kariem, Adaptation Program Lead, ICLEI Canada
• Adrián Tóth, Climate Change Program Lead, ICLEI Canada

Presentations:

• Maximizing Impact: Multisolving to breakdown silos and achieve more

Each plant, each tree has its own special story. On this nature walking immersive session hosted by Talaysay Tours, an Indigenous owned and operated tour business, hear the stories of how shíshálh (Sechelt) Coast Salish & Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) People have been utilizing the land for food, medicine and technology for thousands of years. Walk along the seawall to learn how the Talaysay team has been studying climate change and its impacts on our lands and ocean. Experience multisolving in action as your Talaysay cultural ambassador guide shares their ecological practices, ancient and contemporary history, stories, legends and Indigenous ways of living (knowing). Finish off this session with an Indigenous tea service and totem pole presentation.

We can’t return to what once was, but we can be guided by nature to make tangible and sustainable improvements that benefit water, community and ecology. Join the City of Vancouver’s Green Infrastructure Implementation team for this immersive session that includes three sites in the City that showcase how to use nature-based solutions to enhance livability, increase biodiversity, and improve water quality.

This session is an opportunity to learn about how the City designs and operates Green Rainwater Infrastructure (GRI) at different scales, with an emphasis on equitable service delivery in high urban heat areas of Vancouver. The guided tour stops first at Gibby’s Field, a newly built naturalized park that creates a respite zone for species while allowing the community to interact with the space from the periphery. Next, see small-scale bioretention interventions at Woodland & 14th that demonstrate the impacts of place-based interventions. The tour wraps up at Woodland & 2nd with a blue-green system – a connected space that makes room for water, people, and animals.

Canadians face increasing risks as the climate and housing crises escalate. Building on discussions from the Opening Plenary, this session dives into practical and applicable tools to multisolve these dual challenges. Starting with an expert panel, learn about key tactics and considerations for simultaneously addressing climate risks, revitalizing communities, and increasing access to affordable housing. Following an open Q & A, join in group discussions to explore real-world examples and think through practical strategies for creating resilient, equitable cities that meet both housing and climate needs.

Speakers include:

• Deborah Harford, Executive Vice President, Global Strategic Partnerships, Legible Inc.
• Lisa Helps, Executive Lead, BC Builds, Project Origination and Process Innovation, BC Housing
• David Miller, Managing Director, C40 Centre for City Climate Policy and Economy
• Andrea Nemtin, CEO, Social Innovation Canada

A new go-to destination for relevant, actionable data and information on climate ready infrastructure and housing is launching as part of the Livable Cities Forum! The platform is set to empower communities across Canada with the data and information they need to build low-carbon, resilient infrastructure and housing today for a changing tomorrow. Join this interactive training session to learn how the Climate Insight platform addresses the challenges of disparate and fragmented sources of climate and compliance information by bringing in streamlined access to relevant data, assessment, decision support tools, infrastructure options, case studies, and more. This is an interactive session to walk attendees through the various features and capabilities of the platform.

Speakers and moderators include:

• Ewa Jackson
• Sadhu Johnston
• Robert Plitt

Presentations:

• Climate Insight: A training session for municipal practitioners

How do we move forward on the challenging work of implementing local climate adaptation actions, and do so equitably? This session kicks-off with a brief presentation of the Local Leadership for Climate Adaptation (LLCA) initiative’s funding and capacity development opportunities, followed by a presentation on equitable adaptation. The workshop then centres hands-on activities and engaging discussions to enable participants to apply and build on these learnings. Idenitfy and walk away with equitable climate adaptation implementation practices that ready to be woven into your local context. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, learn, and collectively move forward on implementing equitable adaptation actions that reduce climate risks and build more resilient cities.

This session is brought to you in partnership with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Green Municipal Fund.

Speakers include:

• Émilie Campbell-Renaud, Advisor, Capacity Development – Adaptation, Green Municipal Fund
• Sayemin Naheen, Youth Participant, Sea2City Design Challenge

Mobilizing research into Canadian communities is a vital component of climate action. The Municipal Net-Zero Action Research Partnership (N-ZAP) is an ongoing effort to bring together research institutions, municipal organizations, and dozens of municipalities to advance net-zero transition. Join this session to engage with the latest N-ZAP findings, from knowledge on the State of Climate Action in Canadian Municipalities to three transformative guides on Collaborative Governance, Climate Budgeting, and Climate-Related Financial Disclosures. Come prepared to share your opinions on how to mobilize knowledge further to help municipalities meet Canada’s net-zero targets while also financing multisolving solutions.

Speakers include:

• Amelia Clarke, Professor, School of Environment, Enterprise and Development (SEED), University of Waterloo
• Emma Kirke, Project Officer, Capacity Development, Green Municipal Fund
• Lindsay Telfer, Manager, Capacity Development, Green Municipal Fund
• Ying Zhou, PhD Candidate, Net-Zero Action Research Partnership (N-ZAP), University of Waterloo

Presentations:

• Advancing Net-Zero Action: The latest and greatest from the Municipal Net-Zero Action Research Partnership

Municipalities across Canada have long been grappling with water management concerns, but the escalating impacts of climate change – rising temperatures, droughts, floods, hailstorms, and heavy rains – are placing unprecedented pressure on public infrastructure and housing. Join a panel of municipalities and experts to discuss strategies for adapting to various climate hazards. Gain insights into practical solutions to enhance the resilience of public infrastructure and homes in the face of a changing climate, learning from real-world examples and collaborative efforts. Join us to explore how municipalities are navigating these challenges and paving the way for a sustainable future, while mobilizing residents, NGOs and the academic sector.

Speakers include:

• Julie-Maude Normandin, Conseillère scientifique en chef (Chief Scientific Advisor), Direction générale, Ville de Longueuil
• Jillian Hudgins, Environmental Strategist & Program Manager, City of Fredericton
• Élène Levasseur, Director of Research and Education, Architecture Sans Frontières Québec
• Sharmalene Mendis-Millard, Director, Partners For Action (P4A), University of Waterloo

Presentations:

• Living With Water: Resilient infrastructure for climate-ready communities

In this hands-on, workshop-style session, learn from a guided tour of a toolkit from the Community Solutions Network all about “Building Better Public Spaces: A Toolkit to Create a Public Space Inventory“. This powerful resource is designed to help engage communities to better understand public space typologies, assess how people are using these spaces, and identify strategies for prioritizing investments that build climate resilience.

Learn how, by creating a comprehensive public space inventory, you gain a valuable tool for fostering community engagement, encouraging citizen participation, and ensuring public spaces reflect the diverse needs and aspirations of the people they serve.

Join this session to learn practical steps for applying the toolkit, explore real-world examples, and collaborate with peers on innovative approaches to enhance urban spaces. Whether you’re a city planner, community organizer, or working on urban policy, this workshop will provide actionable insights for making public spaces more inclusive, resilient, and vibrant.

This session is brought to you in partnership with Evergreen.

Speakers include:

• Leah Karlberg, Urban Planner & Designer, Happy Cities
• Adriana Montes, Program Officer, Evergreen
• Mitchell Reardon, Director of Urban Planning, Happy Cities
• Emma Vredenburg, Program Manager, Evergreen Canada

In the journey towards climate resilience, failure can be a powerful teacher. This session explores the concept of “failing forward” in municipal climate action, emphasizing how missteps and setbacks can lead to innovation and success. Join us in this “fishbowl” session to hear – and share your own – real-life stories of turning climate challenges into opportunities for growth. Learn how to embrace failure as a stepping stone, fostering a culture of resilience and continuous improvement. Discover how embracing the concept of failing forward can accelerate your community’s climate action and create a more sustainable future.

Speakers include:

• Katrina Cristall, Climate Action Officer, City of Charlottetown
• Angela Danyluk, Manager of Climate Adaptation & Equity in the Sustainability Group, City of Vancouver
• Ian McVey, Manager of Sustainability, Durham Region

Learn how communities can harness the power of natural systems to create more resilient, low carbon, and livable environments. This preserves the value provided by nature that already flourishes in our communities, while implementing new green, resilient, and inclusive urban development to combat climate change.

This session features short presentations on how communities integrate nature-based solutions to address climate issues. During the presentations, participants will be asked to brainstorm barriers and opportunities in natural infrastructure and nature-based solutions to enhance climate resilience in cities in preparation for dynamic discussions, exchange of best practices, and exploring innovative strategies to integrate nature into urban planning.

Speakers include:

• Hana Lapp, Advisor, Climate Risk and Resilience, MEB, WSP Canada
• Guillaume Letournel, Project Manager, Nature-Action Québec
• Irwin Oostindie, Director, Voor Urban Labs
• Jinny Toffelmire, Environmental Team Leader, Town of Okotoks

Presentations:

• Natural Infrastructure: (Re-)integrating nature and community for a climate-ready future

Join Happy Cities, Hey Neighbour Collective, and panellists from the City of New Westminster and Brightside Community Homes to discuss fostering social well-being and sustainability through housing policy, design, and operations.

Over the last year, Happy Cities, Hey Neighbour Collective, and Simon Fraser University worked with six local governments to co-create policies for social wellbeing in multi-unit housing. While there is little guidance on designing buildings for social well-being, evidence shows the design of shared spaces (such as corridors, common areas, and patios) can improve a building’s function – both socially and sustainably. Engage with planners, housing operators, and designers as they share diverse perspectives on creating sociable, age-friendly, and resilient multi-unit housing communities.

This session is brought to you in partnership with Happy Cities.

Speakers include:

• Sherri Crane, Manager of Housing Services & Engagement, Brightside Community Homes Foundation
• Madeleine Hebert, Senior Housing Specialist, Happy Cities
• Michelle Hoar, Project Director, Hey Neighbour Collective
• Anur Mehdic, Planner, City of New Westminster

Presentations:

• Leveraging multisolving in housing to foster sustainability and social well-being

As climate misinformation and disinformation proliferate, local governments are increasingly vulnerable to their effects. As populist movements gain traction, proponents of environmental policies confront organized opposition. How can we bolster Canadian communities’ abilities to confront this challenge and bridge crucial knowledge gaps through countering misinformation? Join this interactive “fishbowl” session to engage directly with experts and fellow delegates. Through facilitated dialogue and collaborative brainstorming, explore practical strategies and case studies from municipalities tackling misinformation effectively. Gain insights into building community resilience, enhancing media literacy, and fostering transparent communication strategies. Together, let’s empower local leaders with the tools and knowledge needed to navigate misinformation in the context of climate action.

Speakers and moderator include:

• Nicolas Côté, Research Associate, Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions
• Megan Meaney, Executive Director, ICLEI Canada

As climate change accelerates, the need for actionable information to support climate adaptation intensifies. Whether you are a local official developing an adaptation plan, or a city planner working on urban resilience, looking to other municipalities can help.

This session guides participants through the new Spatial Analogues tool on ClimateData.ca, which offers a window into communities’ climate futures, helping to understand and anticipate upcoming challenges and opportunities. By examining places that have a similar number of hot days and warm nights as your city is expected to face in the future, users can borrow strategies for urban design, public health initiatives, and emergency planning to effectively combat heatwaves.

Join for an interactive guide through using the tool, and an exploration of its potential to address impacts across multiple sectors in your community.

Speakers include:

• Casey Clunas, Policy Advisor, Canadian Centre for Climate Services, Environment and Climate Change Canada
• Carrington Pomeroy, Physical Scientist, Canadian Centre of Climate Services (CCCS), Environment and Climate Change Canada

Presentations:

• Vancouver’s Temperatures Today, Portland’s Tomorrow: Climate analogues for municipal planning

Join this dynamic workshop to delve into the pressing issue of energy poverty, and to work together to explore the tools needed to drive meaningful change in Canadian communities. Use interactive discussions and expert guidance to explore the critical intersections between energy poverty, housing, climate resilience, and social justice. Together, let’s ideate on actionable solutions, and explore strategies for tracking progress toward energy justice and climate resilience.

Speaker and facilitator:

• Abhilash Kantamneni, Director of Action Research, Efficiency Canada

Imagine a world where children’s voices shape the public spaces we all share. Their fresh perspectives and boundless creativity are not just inspiring — they’re essential. Join an interactive session that places children at the heart of creating more inclusive, vibrant, and climate-ready environments. After all, when we involve young people in planning, design, and decision-making, we build spaces that reflect their needs, while also fostering a deep sense of ownership, accountability and connection in the next generation of changemakers.

This session tackles the challenges of climate change by highlighting innovative practices that have already transformed public space design. Discover child-tested tools and strategies applicable to your work, such as climate action planning, policies and design guidelines. Leave with fun, practical tools to help your communities become more climate-resilient, and irresistible to kids.

This session is brought to you in partnership with Evergreen, with the support of Recreate Place.

Speakers include:

• Jen Angel, CEO, Evergreen
• Heidi Campbell, Senior Designer of Climate-Ready and Child-Friendly Public Spaces, Evergreen
• Paula Gallo, Partner | Recreate Place, Evergreen
• Annie Vandenberg, Partner, Recreate Place

Presentations:

• Child-Friendly Approaches to Create Climate-Ready Public Spaces

Join us for a dynamic workshop focused on overcoming barriers that hinder local governments from effectively integrating equity and community engagement into climate change adaptation efforts. This session is designed to advocate for and equip local government partners with actionable strategies and tools to consider equity in various adaptation projects – from policies to programs, and capital investments. Through interactive discussions and practical exercises, participants will:

1. Explore and tackle primary barriers preventing municipalities from prioritizing equity and engagement in climate adaptation.
2. Draw inspiration from successful case studies of local governments and partnerships that have effectively centered equity in their adaptation initiatives.
3. Gain access to a toolkit of tangible resources and tools aimed at guiding local leaders in integrating equity and community engagement into their adaptation strategies.

Whether you’re seeking to initiate change or enhance existing practices, this workshop offers invaluable insights and practical solutions to foster inclusive and resilient adaptation efforts in your community. Join us to empower local action and advance climate resilience through equity and engagement.

Speakers and moderator include:

• Naomi Wolfe, Climate Change Project Coordinator, ICLEI Canada
• Lorenzo Magzul, Project Manager, Climate Equity Program, Community Social Planning Council

Presentations:

• Towards Inclusive Adaptation: Tools and success stories for local governments

As local governments grapple with aging infrastructure and increasing stresses from climate change, integrating natural assets into asset management and climate plans offers multiple opportunities. This approach – increasingly known as natural asset management – not only protects vital community resources, but also enhances cost-effectiveness, service levels, and climate resilience, all while also sequestering carbon. However, effectively accounting for natural assets, and integrating information on the services they provide and the risks they face into asset management, remains a challenge.

Join this session to discover how a growing number of local governments and others are creating inventories of natural assets; assessing and valuing the services they provide; reflecting values in financial statements; and successfully integrating this with asset management and climate action strategies. Gain practical knowledge on actionable steps that you can take to enhance the resilience and sustainability of your community.

Speakers include:

• Roy Brooke, Executive Director, Natural Assets Initiative
• Nicolas Dedovic, Team Lead, Ecological Transition and Resilience Office, City of Montréal
• Joanna Eyquem, Managing Director, Climate-Resilient Infrastructure, Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, University of Waterloo
• Shannon Fernandes, Manager, Climate Adaptation, Halifax Regional Municipality; PhD student, Brock University’s Environmental Sustainability Research Centre
• Jennifer Gunter, Executive Director, BC Community Forest Association
• Christine Poirier, Conseillère municipale de Duvernay-Pont-Viau, Membre du comité exécutif

Presentations:

• Nature’s Role: Integrating ecosystem services into municipal climate plans

Considering climate change when making decisions about municipal assets such as roads, buildings, drinking water, and sanitation presents a great opportunity to build climate resilience while delivering essential services. As Canadian municipalities enter a period of significant asset renewal, we can collectively ensure that resilient infrastructure is part of the solution.

Join this session to learn about the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Building Climate Resilience with Asset Management (BCRAM) framework — a tool that helps municipalities integrate climate considerations into asset management practices. Participants will also learn how the new BCRAM online course (which will be launched in November 2024 and will be accessible at no cost) and funding opportunities through the Local Leadership for Climate Adaptation initiative can further assist municipalities leverage asset management practices to build equitable and inclusive climate resilience.

This session is brought to you in partnership with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Green Municipal Fund.

Speakers include:

• Sarah MacFord, Knowledge Mobilization Officer – Municipal Asset Management Program, Federation of Canadian Municipality
• Marshall Gallardo Castaneda, Project Advisor – First Nation-Municipal Community Economic Development Initiative (CEDI), Federation of Canadian Municipalities
• Aymone Agossou, Project Director, MAMP abd Climate-Ready Plans and Processes, Federation of Canadian Municipalities