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Presenters: Matt Osler (moderator), Harley Chappell, Tjasa Demsar, Annie Geoffroy, Carla Stewart, Erin Desautels and Guillaume Côté 

It’s time to re-frame climate adaptation financing from a barrier to an opportunity.  This workshop will include an overview of the Government of Canada’s Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund and explore a case study on structural and nature-based works in City of Surrey, City of Delta and Semiahmoo First Nation that resulted in innovative solutions and partnerships to be forged between all levels of government for works valued at $187 M. As part of the case study, foundational work done by partners that helped to secure federal funding will be examined, including a cost-benefit analysis. Please join us for an interactive workshop that will include table exercises to dive into the challenges and opportunities of adapting to sea level rise and how to overcome barriers to adapt to climate change. 

Moderator: Jim Vanderwal

Sea Level Rise Doesn’t Stop at Municipal Boundaries: Collaborative, Multi-sectoral Adaptation Planning on Vancouver’s North Shore

Presenter: Amir Taleghani

Sea level rise is a significant concern for the North Shore area of BC’s Lower Mainland region, which is home to over 180,000 people, the Port of Vancouver, and vast natural and cultural assets. As a local "first" for sea level rise adaptation, three municipalities, the Port of Vancouver and the Squamish Nation have partnered to develop the North Shore Sea Level Rise Risk Assessment and Adaptive Management Strategy. The project supports the development of a coordinated adaptation strategy informed by assessing sea level rise risk and developing adaptation measures to manage risk across six sectors: building and infrastructure, transportation, economy, environment, social, and culture and heritage.

This presentation, by the project consultant team from Kerr Wood Leidal (KWL), will share out on the approach, results, and lessons learned through the project.

The University of British Columbia’s Living Breakwaters Project: A Multi-layered Approach to Coastal Adaptation

Presenter: Kees Lokman

Coastal erosion is a growing challenge across Canada, which boasts the longest coastline in the world. Natural Resources Canada has provided generous support to the Living Breakwaters project at the University of British Columbia to develop a layered approach to coastal adaptation. The Living Breakwaters project is an umbrella project to advance climate change adaptation knowledge in the Lower Mainland and to develop nature-based solutions for the erosion of the cliffs at the University of British Columbia’s Point Grey campus. Sub-projects include the development of tools and visuals to explore coastal adaptation pathways that incorporate living systems and enhance local and regional ecosystems and spatial quality.

This presentation will showcase outcomes of sub-projects that were undertaken by a multi-disciplinary team of researchers and practitioners, including visualization tools for innovative adaptation options and visual narratives illustrating the implications of flooding on various sectors through cascading effects.

Presenters: Deborah Harford (moderator), DG Blair, Patrick Lilley, Josephine Clark and Roy Brooke

Biodiversity loss is a crisis emerging in parallel with climate change; meanwhile, urban and developed areas are largely considered dead zones for connectivity planning. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) recommends that urban areas deploy nature-based solutions, and green infrastructure is increasingly becoming an important low carbon resilience solution to flood and heat management. How might we deploy these nature-based solutions on larger scales to benefit biodiversity through interdisciplinary collaboration among municipalities, stewardship groups, all levels of government and the disciplines of engineering, accounting, planning, environment and development?

This panel session introduces regional-scale approaches that align with emerging green infrastructure and biodiversity protection measures, such as natural assets, climate connectivity and refugia, and watershed-based stormwater management. Participants will be invited to consider how these approaches might work (or not work) in their contexts and envision pathways to solutions using group-based activities and discussion.

Presenters: Mary Ann Wilson (moderator), Robin Cox, Catherine Leblanc, Susannah Banks, Al Douglas and Jane Welsh

Practitioners play an integral role in addressing risks from climate change, but what does adaptation mean in practice? This session, moderated by Natural Resources Canada, will feature projects supported through the Building Regional Adaptation Capacity and Expertise (BRACE) program. Five panelists will share perspectives and experiences on building adaptation capacity amongst the planning, engineering, forestry and architecture professions, as well as explore approaches for working across areas of practice.

They will present the range of adaptation tools and training they are delivering for practitioners and then dive deeper through focused breakout group discussions. This session will explore questions such as:

1. What capacity exists currently when it comes to understanding and applying adaptation in practice?
2. What is needed to move the yardstick further on the practical side of adaptation?
3. What are benefits and challenges of building targeted capacity within a given area of practice versus working across professions?

Presenter: Amanda Broad and Tina Neale

The CleanBC plan commits the BC government to releasing a new Climate Adaptation Strategy in 2020. The strategy will be developed in collaboration with Indigenous peoples and informed by broad engagement and the Preliminary Strategic Climate Risk Assessment for BC. This interactive session will dive into the steps the Province of BC is taking to develop the strategy including:

• How the Province is approaching engagement with Indigenous organizations and communities, local governments, stakeholders and citizens, as well as with provincial and federal agencies.
• What values, priorities and policy ideas are shaping strategy development, and
• Plans leading to strategy release in late 2020.

Bring your ideas and enthusiasm: this is an engagement session! Participants will have an opportunity to provide feedback that will help shape the strategy and its implementation.

Moderator: Kelsey Taylor

Introduction to the Coastal Vulnerability Studies and Climate Adaptation Program

Presenter: Brent Baron

Indigenous Services Canada is working on a Coastal Vulnerability program for the First Nation communities for the West Coast with a step-by-step analysis of each of the 60 communities, assessing the hazards, identifying the communities exposure and working on reducing the communities' vulnerability to coastal events through a climate adaptation process. The level of effort includes community discussions, on-site investigations, LiDAR data collection, modelling, result assessments and annual workshops to create a dialogue, understanding and learning, through an engagement, empowerment and enhancement process.

Coastal Vulnerability Study Community Context – Old Massett

Presenters: Patrika McEvoy

This presentation is a journey into the history and traditional knowledge of Old Massett, leading into the path forward for the community. Learn how Old Massett, as Indigenous Coastal First Nations, have survived the waves of climate change, pre-contact, and how they can embrace this powerful history today to paddle forward. Patrika McEvoy will talk about how Old Massett can use their traditional laws and create a strong working relationship with government and industry in a way that upholds their Indigenous rights, which are basic human rights. Patrika will also speak on how Old Massett can get to where they want to be, so that they can face the realities of climate change together. 

Coastal Vulnerability Study Community Context – Nisga’a Village of Laxgalt’sap

Presenter: Andrew Robinson

The Coastal Vulnerability Study (CVS) is an ongoing project currently entering its fourth year. The project assesses risk to infrastructure in coastal First Nations communities from sea level rise, storm surge and tsunami. The project is divided into three phases: Phase 1 - the assessment phase; Phase 2 – the planning phase; and Phase 3 – the implementation phase. Communities are invited to participate with all assessment costs and community support costs provided by Indigenous Services Canada and First Nations Adapt. Phase 2 is funded by FN Adapt through project funding proposals submitted by the communities. Phase 3 work is funded through whichever body has the appropriate authority for the proposed work. This presentation showcases Phase 1 work during 2019 to 2020 in the Nisga’a Village of Laxgalt’sap. 

Presenters: Kerri Klein (moderator), Kathleen McLean, Tamsin Mills and Magdalena Szpala

Canadians are experiencing more frequent and extreme heat events. Climate change models predict that by 2050, very hot days (above 30°C) may occur across Canada four times as frequently as they do today. Climate impacts like extreme heat and poor air quality from wildfires will exacerbate existing inequities, and those that are most vulnerable will be at greater risk.

This session will highlight the work of several sectors in BC to build resilience for these populations. The session will feature an overview of the health risks of extreme hot weather and air pollution by the BC Centre for Disease Control and presentations by BC Housing and the City of Vancouver on response plans that specifically target the needs of vulnerable populations. With facilitation by Shift Collaborative, this session will encourage sharing climate response and adaptation knowledge, practices and resources in a way that builds resilience for all, including vulnerable populations.

Moderators: Cherry Tam and Veronika Bylicki

Presenters: Harvy Takhar Stephanie Koenig, Patrick Michell and Angela Danyluk

Youth are inheriting and adapting to a world that is changing at an unprecedented rate. Including youth in decision-making and in addressing adaptation is crucial for society to build resilience. This session will amplify the stories of young leaders and their perspectives on resilience, and also help enable practitioners and decision-makers to more meaningfully engage youth in their work.

The session, moderated by CityHive, will feature a panel of three BC youth and one decision-maker who will share their stories. CityHive will also share some of their best practices when it comes to engaging youth holistically to address various social and environmental challenges. The session will build off of the "My Climate Story" Project, an online story map platform of the Fraser Basin Council for youth in BC to share their diverse perspectives on how climate change affects them and their communities.