Over the past year we’ve focused almost exclusively on the urgent needs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic like access to food, shelter and helping community organizations keep the lights on. Today we announce a new initiative that Niagara Community Foundation is proud to partner with that centers on the environment.

Together with other community foundations around Lake Ontario, our national umbrella, Community Foundations of Canada, and corporate sponsors like Walker Industries, and community sector organizations like the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority and Niagara College, we welcome you to: Unflood Ontario.

Why flooding, you might ask? Because the fear of flooding is something many of us can relate to personally. If climate science is alienating, water seeping into your basement and the cost of repairs are impossible to ignore. Remember the floods of the summer of 2018? This video is a stark reminder if the memory escapes you. What’s more, the impacts of flooding does not discriminate; flooding is indeed an equity issue as is the broader devastation caused by climate change.

Unflood Ontario seeks to bring public attention to the growing flooding concerns. Most importantly, it poses a simple, affordable solution that also produces multiple social, economic and environmental benefits. It’s a big term for a basic concept: natural infrastructure. Think trees, green roofs, rain barrels, depaving. All of these interventions result in cleaner air, more beautiful urban spaces for social enjoyment, mental health and physical activity, and yes, less flooding. Water has to go somewhere. Urbanization while necessary, when done without consideration for the environment, leads to spaces that cause more harm than good.

Soon we will be back together. And when that happens, we want to see a surge in natural infrastructure in cities across the province. How can you help? Read about Unflood Ontario here and on the website. Take action by signing the letter to the federal government and spreading the word on social media.