The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) is pleased to introduce the 62 participants in our second Climate leadership online course for municipal elected officials. The course, offered through FCM’s Municipalities for Climate Innovation Program (MCIP), will guide elected officials as they develop the knowledge and skills necessary to champion more resilient communities in the face of climate change.
Participants will hear from leading experts and connect with peers. They will also learn about tools, best practices, opportunities, resources and funding for local climate action. Each elected official will work towards reaching their community’s climate targets by focusing on one of the following three course specializations:
- Municipal roles, pathways, governance and strategies to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions
- Building the case for integrated climate action
- Moving from planning to implementation
The selected participants have already demonstrated local climate leadership and come from communities of all sizes across Canada. FCM welcomes this strong cohort of participants:
- Robert Auger, Councillor, City of Terrebonne, QC
- Alice Barton, Councillor, Township of the Archipelago, ON
- Céline-Audrey Beauregard, Councillor, City of Montreal, QC
- Kathy Bellemare, Councillor, City of Dauphin, MB
- Leigh Bishop, Mayor, Town of Southey, SK
- Gabrielle Blatz, Councillor, City of Wetaskiwin, AB
- Vickey Brown, Councillor, Village of Cumberland, BC
- Jill Burridge, Councillor, Town of Stratford, PEI
- Rob Burton, Mayor, Town of Oakville, ON
- Loralea Carruthers, Councillor, Town of East Gwillimbury, ON
- Linda Cousineau, Councillor, Township of Lochaber-Partie-Ouest, QC
- Kjeryn Dakin, Councillor, Town of Sylvan Lake, AB
- Adrian Davis, Councillor, Village of Harvey, NB
- Dayle Eshelby, Councillor, Town of Lockeport, NS
- Tim Eveleigh, Councillor, Town of Grand Coulee, SK
- Jen Ford, Councillor, Resort Municipality of Whistler, BC
- Rachel Gilliland, Councillor, Town of Aurora, ON
- Janet Hager, Councillor, Municipality of Red Lake, ON
- Amber Hipkiss, Councillor, District of Mackenzie, BC
- Randy Hodge, Councillor, Municipality of Killarney-Turtle Mountain, MB
- Colleen Horan, Councillor, Municipality of Wentworth-Nord, QC
- Chloe Hutchison, Mayor, Town of Hudson, QC
- Martine Javelas, Councillor, Municipality of d’Orford, QC
- Natalie Joly, Councillor, City of St. Albert, AB
- Tony Keats, Mayor, Village of Dover, NL
- Jeannie Kelso, Councillor, Township of Lanark Highlands, ON
- Kathleen Kez, Councillor, City of Westmount, QC
- Raïs Kibonge, Councillor, City of Sherbooke, QC
- Sarah Kirby-Yung, Councillor, City of Vancouver, BC
- Marilyn Labatte, Councillor, Rural Municipality of McKillop 220, SK
- Geneviève Lachance, Mayor, Town of Saint-Lazare, QC
- Diane Langman, Mayor, Village of Warfield, BC
- Robb LaRochelle, Councillor, Resort Village of Manitou Beach, SK
- Karine Lechasseur, Councillor, City of Vaudreuil-Dorion, QC
- Lawrence Lee, Councillor, City of Red Deer, AB
- Charles Leger, Councillor, City of Moncton, NB
- Kent Lindgren, Councillor, City of North Battleford, SK
- Marie-Térèse Little, Councillor, District of Metchosin, BC
- Jonathan Main, Councillor, Town of Midland, ON
- Josiane Martel-Ouellet, Councillor, Municipality of Frelighsburg, QC
- Michael McCann, Councillor, City of Barrie, ON
- Paul McLauchlin, Councillor, Municipality of Ponoka County, AB
- Robert Mercuri, Councillor, Town of Beaconsfield, QC
- Steve Moran, Councillor, City of Gatineau, QC
- Virginia Mowery, Councillor, Town of St. Walburg, SK
- Kaïla Munro, Councillor, City of Montreal, QC
- Doug O’Brien, Councillor, City of Parksville, BC
- Wendy Oickle, Councillor, Municipality of the District of Lunenburg, NS
- Wayne Olson, Councillor, Town of Pelham, ON
- Michael Peppard, Councillor, District of Muskoka & Township of Lake of Bays, ON
- Christine Poirier, Councillor, City of Laval, QC
- Jessica Racine-Lehoux, Councillor, Town of Saint Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC
- Laurey-Anne Roodenburg, Councillor, City of Quesnel, BC
- Florencia Saravia, Councillor, City of Dunham, QC
- Margo Sheppard, Councillor, City of Fredericton, NB
- Arjun Singh, Councillor, City of Kamloops, BC
- Al Sizer, Councillor, City of Greater Sudbury, ON
- Michelle Thomas, Councillor, Municipality of Lac des Ecorces, QC
- Sonia Tremblay, Councillor, Municipality of Saint-Hippolyte, QC
- Danielle Valiquette, Councillor, Municipality of Grey Highlands, ON
- Alexandre Warnet, Councillor, City of Laval, QC
- Jennifer Wyness, Councillor, City of Calgary, AB
More about the course
The course features three live chats from February through March 2022 and concludes with an online plenary to share key course learnings from all specializations. Course materials will include videos, guides and tools created by FCM, as well as best in class examples from our partners. Participants will also submit a final assignment, with the goal of the project aimed at encouraging sharing with other elected officials, municipal staff and their community.
More about the course specializations
FCM has partnered with leading national experts in municipal climate action to deliver each specialization. Each specialization is intended for elected officials at different stages of climate action.
Municipal roles, pathways, governance and strategies to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions
Special delivery partner: University of Waterloo
This specialization is for elected officials from a municipality that is in the earlier stages of climate action planning (at the corporate or community-wide level). Participants will learn how to implement supportive governance structures and strategies for achieving deep greenhouse gas emissions reductions and carbon neutrality.
Building the case for integrated climate action
Special delivery partner: Action on Climate Team – Simon Fraser University
Elected officials from a municipality at any stage of the climate action planning and implementation process can participate in this specialization. Participants will explore how to streamline the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and adaptation efforts through their municipal planning and decision-making processes in a cost-effective way.
Moving from planning to implementation
Special delivery partner: Climate Caucus
Elected officials from small municipalities with limited resources will benefit from engaging in this specialization. Through this specialization elected officials will learn practical and effective ways to move from the planning to implementation stage of their community’s climate action initiatives, while involving municipal staff and the public.
The Municipalities for Climate Innovation Program is a five-year $75-million program, delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and funded by the Government of Canada.