Election 2026: Experts say Durham municipalities must plan for a warmer, wetter, wilder climate

Experts tell durhamregion.com that protecting green space, upgrading stormwater infrastructure, and planting trees are among the cheapest defences against Durham's warmer, wetter, wilder climate.

By Daily Durham News

Oct 17, 2026, 8:07 a.m. ET1 min read

Lynde Creek emptying into Lake Ontario in Whitby, Ontario, with a gravel shoreline and bare trees under a grey sky; no people visible — Lynde Creek empties into Lake Ontario in Whitby. Experts say protecting green space and upgrading stormwater infrastructure are key to Durham's climate resilience. · Credit: The Cosmonaut, Wikimedia Commons

Durham Region municipalities must plan for a warmer, wetter and wilder climate, experts say, urging local governments to invest now in carbon offsets, larger stormwater infrastructure, and nature-based flood defences rather than face far costlier problems later. Speaking ahead of the Oct. 26 municipal election, Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority land use planner Chris Jones said 'if we're prudent now, we won't have even more expensive problems in the future,' noting that replacing green space with pavement reduces natural water absorption.

Toronto Environmental Alliance's Sarah Buchanan is also pushing for a maximum-temperature bylaw for rental units, calling extreme summer heat inside apartments 'no longer acceptable,' while both experts point to cheap wins like tree planting for cooling, permeable parking lots, bigger culverts and bridges with room for floodwater, solar panels and geothermal on municipal buildings, EV fleets, and strong regional transit investment. (Reporting by Matt Slevin, DurhamRegion.com.)

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