LITTLE CURRENT -- Two years of hard work is now complete for environmental researchers who were looking into the impact of climate change on Manitoulin Island and the North Shore.
Re-Think Green released findings from its two reports on Tuesday morning from the island in Lake Huron after finishing its study of the topic.
The study was commissioned by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) back in 2017 and the Sudbury not-for-profit said this is about helping communities both on and off the island tackle the idea of climate change and to provide measures that its citizens can also do from home.
"We're going to talk about how we see increased conditions for bugs, like mosquitoes and ticks, are going to be more favourable over the next few years because of the emissions, because of the heat and that's going to create increased conditions where people are going to start seeing a spread of disease further and further up north," said spokesperson David St. Georges.
The region was chosen because of its unique geography, weather and the number of visitors it sees to the island in a given year.
Local leaders are being asked to come up with a plan to invest in climate change, which they say is a far cry from the Manitoulin Island parents and grandparents knew in their youth.
"Individuals and households will know what their footprint is - businesses will look at the support systems available as they transition to a low-carbon economy. Community leaders will have a baseline ln which they could work to build more sustainable, resilient and sustainable communities," said Re-Think Green community planner Simon Blakeley.
Re-Think Green made its presentation outside the town hall for Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands. The community's mayor, Al MacNevin, said he is excited to see the findings.
"It's actually been a couple of years since we've had a conversation about it directly, so I'm looking forward to peeling back the 'onion,' and seeing what the recommendations are and whatever areas we can improve in. I think our council would be very supportive and our community as well," said MacNevin.
"You know, if they encourage that of all the visitors, then everyone would be on board. And, like I said, it's not doom and gloom. It's an exciting change that we can be part of," said St. Georges.
After Little Current, the Re-Think Green group said it has meetings with leaders and residents in both Tehkummah and Gore Bay.
Read the full report, Smart Green Communities - A Project of reThinkGreen. Here.
