Toronto’s Snowstorm is a Climate Wake-Up Call: We Need Green Infrastructure Now!

Let’s be clear: climate change isn’t just about rising temperatures. It’s about increasingly erratic and extreme weather events, and that includes heavier snowfalls and more intense winter storms. While conservatives love to point to a snowstorm as “proof” climate change is a hoax, the reality is far more complex. A warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, which can translate into more intense precipitation, whether it’s rain or snow.

Toronto, like many Canadian cities, is simply not prepared for the realities of a changing climate. Our infrastructure is aging and crumbling, and our reliance on outdated technologies and practices leaves us vulnerable to these increasingly frequent and intense weather events.

We need to invest in green infrastructure. This isn’t just about planting trees, although that’s certainly part of it. It’s about reimagining our cities to be more resilient and sustainable. We need to invest in improved public transit to reduce our reliance on cars, which choke our city with pollution and contribute to climate change. We need to upgrade our power grids to be more resistant to outages during extreme weather. We need to build more permeable pavements that allow rainwater and snowmelt to be absorbed back into the ground, reducing the risk of flooding.

And yes, we need better snow removal. But let’s not pretend that simply buying more plows is the answer. We need to rethink our approach to urban planning, prioritizing pedestrian and cyclist safety, and creating more walkable and bikeable communities that are less reliant on cars, even in the winter.

This requires a fundamental shift in our thinking. We need to move away from the short-sighted, cost-cutting measures that have characterized our approach to infrastructure for far too long. We need to invest in long-term solutions that will not only make our cities more resilient to climate change but also improve the quality of life for all Canadians.

This isn’t just about Toronto; it’s about Canada as a whole. As we face increasingly extreme weather events across the country, we need a national strategy to address climate change and build more resilient communities. This requires strong leadership from the federal government, as well as collaboration with provinces, territories, and municipalities.

While some politicians, particularly those on the right, continue to deny the reality of climate change or downplay its urgency, the evidence is all around us. The Toronto snowstorm is just the latest wake-up call. We can no longer afford to ignore the threat.

The time for half-measures is over. We need bold action to address climate change and build a more sustainable and resilient future for all Canadians. This means investing in green infrastructure, transitioning to a clean energy economy, and holding those who continue to pollute our planet accountable. The future of our cities, and indeed our country, depends on it. The longer we wait, the more vulnerable we become, and the more difficult it will be to address the challenges ahead.