• “We should be looking at the prevalence of invasive species which push out the native flora and fauna and decrease diversification leading to more pests, more vulnerable landscapes, contaminated water, etc.”

• “The city should consider relaxing by-laws relating to food self-sufficiency - for example it should be easier for us to keep a few chickens for eggs.”

• “Lower speed limits to reduce emissions”

• “A project to monitor temperature in schools and school yards”

• “I would like property owners to be encouraged to plant native species to support pollinators and keep our local ecosystems healthy.”

• “Establish a green municipal bond program that targets investors interested in sustainable and resilient infrastructure projects.”

• “We need to revise the building code to reward "building up" (multi-story rather than horizontally sprawling buildings).”

• “All new building projects consider either green roofs and/or solar roofs”

• “Modifying zoning laws to allow for denser land use, decreasing the need to drive for groceries and basic products.”

• “The city needs to try and implement these strategies without raising taxes. People are just getting by, even people with decent jobs.”

• “New business and job opportunities related to climate change adaptation/mitigation should be identified and created to couple economic activity directly with these goals.”

• “I would like the city to have a protocol for extreme weather events that involves ensuring the safety of vulnerable populations (including the unhoused) and recommending businesses close or that remote work be done if outdoor conditions are dangerous.”

• “Address all public urban areas susceptible to flooding now”

• “Make everyone aware of tornado vulnerability and what could be done to reduce damage”

• “Strong endorsement of solar panel and energy storage to promote energy independence for each house/building."

• “Prohibit natural gas in new buildings”

• “I think the City should look carefully at some of the practices that have serious consequences to the environment and impact climate change. - the Poker Run is known to have significant negative impact and yet it’s a City-endorsed activity”

• “Encourage more local farm market days”

• “We need to plan for failures of field crops caused by heat and water imbalances.”

• “We need to increase community gardens, food forests, and general food production in all city land including boulevards and road sides.”

• “Transportation is a pretty small part of the carbon footprint of food, so eating local doesn’t actually make that much of a difference. It is much more important to eat less red meat - ideally choosing vegetable protein sources, but even switching from red meat to chicken makes a huge difference.”

• “Protect the hospital”

• “Measures to increase public awareness of the uncomfortable fact that the air we breathe in Kingston is far less pristine than most of us assume and is more often than not hazardous to our long-term health.”

• “Create affordable housing. Provide all community members with a safe space to call their home. Our unhoused population is growing and they are extremely vulnerable living on the street or in crammed shelters”

• “The City should be much more proactive about building and home retrofits. Don’t just provide financial incentives — work on retrofitting every home in a systematic way.”

• “Smart thermostat incentive program”

• “Incentives for people to leave their car at home more often and take the bus!”

• “Separation of septic and storm water sewer systems”

• “Increased public access EV charging infrastructure.”

• “Partnerships and funding with local organizations to aid in implementing some of these measures - like install of rain gardens"

• “Strive to establish a formal international, Kingston based Climate and Environment Sustainability Research Centre that could also partner with all regional educational institutions like those already operating in some key cities across North America.”

• “It was hard to pick 5 things I'm most concerned about. I'm extremely concerned about the loss of biodiversity and impacts of climate change on the natural world beyond humans. However, I know that the Earth will survive beyond humans' existence here, and so I answered through the lens of what issues are going to be most felt by me as long as we continue to occupy the earth. But that lens feels very shortsighted.”

• “The role of a municipality in climate change adaptation is limited, and its not a great idea to take on more responsibility than needed (province and feds should do their part).”

• “Adding and improving shade structures in parks”

• “Preservation of wetlands in/around the Kingston area with a view to controlling mosquitos and other pests through frogs/toads.”

• “We need more forests in areas such as schoolyards, areas now are largely unusable because of large open areas.”

• “Have cooling centers for this without A/C”

• “Have trained emergency teams on call to help homeless people during extreme climate events.”

• “Bus only lanes. Traffic signal priority for public transit.”

• “Install/upgrade traffic lights that are better timed along main roads.”

• “Improve infrastructure for bike usage”

• “Stop cutting down trees. There seems to be an increase in people cutting down trees on their property with no repercussions. If we want our neighborhoods to be greener, cooler and have more oxygen the city should forbid tree cutting unless tree is diseased or blocking hydro lines.”

• “Double down on tree planting using the model of Little Forests”

• “Look at how other cities are issuing fines for tree removal without replanting.”

For a copy of all verbatim text feedback, please email GetInvolvedKingston@CityofKingston.ca.