Canadian Municipal Leaders Call on Federal Parties to Prioritize Climate Over Pipelines
A coalition of 128 municipal leaders from across Canada has issued a joint letter to the five major federal party leaders, urging bold climate action and a shift away from pipeline projects. The signatories include Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland, former Toronto Mayor David Miller, Princeton Mayor Spencer Coyne, and Yellowknife Deputy Mayor Ben Hendriksen.
The letter outlines a comprehensive climate strategy to boost Canada’s resilience to environmental disasters. Among their proposals: constructing a national electric grid that includes northern communities, developing a high-speed rail network, building two million non-market green homes, retrofitting existing buildings for energy efficiency, and establishing a national resilience, response, and recovery strategy.
Municipal leaders argue these initiatives would stimulate the economy, create jobs, and bolster domestic industries like steel, aluminum, and lumber—all while reducing Canada’s dependency on fossil fuels and foreign markets. They suggest funding the initiatives by phasing out fossil fuel subsidies and taxing major polluters.
“Let’s be honest: new pipelines require massive public handouts, trample on Indigenous sovereignty, and mean more climate disasters hitting our cities and towns in years to come,” the letter states.
Plante emphasized the need for “greater vision and action” from the federal government rather than continued investment in pipelines. The call comes amid a federal election campaign that has largely been dominated by economic concerns and U.S. trade tensions, overshadowing urgent issues like climate change, housing, and Indigenous reconciliation.
Communities like Montreal and Jasper have recently experienced the devastating impacts of climate-related events. Wildfires in Jasper last year triggered a mass evacuation and caused widespread destruction. Weeks later, Montreal faced unprecedented flooding, which became Quebec’s most expensive severe weather event on record, causing an estimated $2.5 billion in insured damages.
For Ireland, the national resilience strategy stands out as particularly urgent. He believes such a plan could have sped up housing recovery and economic restoration in Jasper following the fires. He also advocates for updated building codes and fire-prevention infrastructure like firebreaks.
“Sadly, we feel that although we are perhaps the most recent community to go through this experience, we probably won’t be the last,” said Ireland, who lost his own home of 67 years in the fires.
“If we can use our experience to help other communities across Canada be prepared for the reality of severe weather and climate change, then at least we have used our disaster to help others,” he added.
