TMU researchers partner in climate and shoreline resilience project
On January 20, 2025, the Government of Canada officially announced a $3.1 million investment (external link) over the next four years as part of the Climate-Resilient Coastal Communities (external link) (CRCC) Program. This funding aims to enhance climate resilience in Great Lakes coastal communities by co-developing regional-scale policies, plans, and actions for coastal resilience. Researchers from Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) are participating in this collaborative research initiative, focusing on coastal and shoreline resilience in Ontario and the broader Great Lakes region.
Left to Right: Bonnie Fox, Director of Policy and Planning, Conservation Ontario; Dr. Carolyn Johns, Professor, TMU; Yena Bassone-Quashie, Bruce Fellow and PhD Candidate, TMU
Climate change is significantly impacting coastal communities throughout Canada and Ontario. Policymakers and decision-makers need new and improved tools to make informed and proactive choices to safeguard people, property, and the local environment.
Effective collaboration between governmental bodies and local organizations is crucial to addressing these challenges. Conservation Ontario (external link) is a non-profit association that represents Ontario’s 36 Conservation Authorities (CA). These community-based watershed management agencies operate under the Conservation Authorities Act and implement watershed-based programs that protect people and property from flooding and other natural hazards while conserving natural resources for economic, social, and environmental benefits. For over 80 years, Conservation Ontario has collaborated with all levels of government, universities, Indigenous communities, and other local partners to develop the tools and knowledge necessary for effective water stewardship and governance.
The federal government's decision to designate 8,400 km of Canadian Great Lakes shorelines as coastal areas highlights the critical need to build resilience and prioritize technical, social, and economic action within local communities. This proactive initiative and investment will position Ontario as a leader in reducing risks to life and property, ultimately saving Ontarians and Canadians billions of dollars in both insured and uninsured losses. Through collaboration, it will generate new knowledge, involve diverse communities, and promote innovative, cooperative solutions to tackle significant climate change challenges across Ontario and the Great Lakes region.
Conservation Ontario's map of project areas.
As part of the program, Conservation Ontario is collaborating with multiple Conservation Authorities, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, and a team led by professor Carolyn Johns, Chair of the TMU Bruce Fellowships in Canadian Freshwater Policy, along with researchers from the Global Centre for Climate Change and Transboundary Waters (external link) . Together, they are addressing coastal challenges across Ontario's 26 shoreline Conservation Areas and three pilot regions along the southern Lake Huron, western Lake Ontario, and northern Lake Superior coasts. Their goal is to develop strategies, tools, and actions to safeguard local communities from negative social, economic, and environmental impacts.
Johns and her team will partner on research related to social, economic, governance, policy, planning and best management practices aspects of this project, across the project and in the three pilot areas. Baseline research on existing governance approaches and practices across Ontario’s shoreline CAs and communities will be followed by in-depth research on policy approaches and management practices required in each of the pilots to build governance and community resilience following technical research on the shoreline challenges in each case. Johns will engage student Research Assistants from TMU and collaborators through the Global Centre for Transboundary Waters grant in research that will be shared with coastal communities across the Great Lakes region.
The federal government's investment in the Climate-Resilient Coastal Communities Program marks a significant step toward safeguarding the future of Ontario’s coastal communities and the broader Great Lakes region. By fostering collaboration between local, provincial, and federal partners, as well as academic and Indigenous communities, this initiative will equip decision-makers with the knowledge and tools needed to combat the impacts of climate change. Johns and her team are conducting research focused on policy innovations and community engagement to generate new knowledge related to enhancing resilience and sustainable development in the face of evolving environmental challenges.
