FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 1, 2026
As Canada absorbs a 50 per cent tariff wall and a summer of fire and heat, mayors and councillors are calling on the federal government to build the energy and housing infrastructure that makes the country less exposed to both.
Ottawa, ON, September 1st, 2026 — Data released today shows that climate change has already disrupted the lives of more than 60% of Canadians as impacts compound across the country. Wildfires, flooding, drought, hazardous air quality and extreme heat warnings have affected more than 930 communities, representing more than 26 million Canadians so far this year. These numbers, released via the Elbows Up For Climate campaign’s Climate Impacts Map, document the struggles people and communities are living through as climate change intensifies. The data was collected from January 1 to August 12, 2026. This data demonstrates that amidst increasing trade tensions with the US, Canadians are suffering on two fronts — and that nation-building should provide solutions that address both.
The impacts are documented by hazard type. 68 communities declared a local state of emergency, and many faced more than one hazard over the course of the summer. Extreme heat affected the largest number of communities at 669, followed by unsafe air quality in 320, flooding in 138, wildfire in 49, severe storms in 40 and drought in 12. The data shows that from east to west, Yellowknife to Waterloo and Winnipeg to Gatineau, communities across Canada have faced evacuations, dangerous smoke, damaged homes and disrupted livelihoods, and have been left uncertain about what comes next as recovery costs mount.
In addition to the data released today, wildfires have affected at least 81 First Nations and forced 9,131 people from their communities since April 1. In one of many examples this month, a wildfire tore through the Okanagan Indian Band’s reserve near Vernon, BC, destroying roughly 230 homes and adding another name to a list that already includes Lytton and Jasper. The situation has escalated since: British Columbia declared a provincial state of emergency as a separate, fast-moving wildfire forced evacuation orders for nearly 22,000 people.
Inaction is not sustainable
“The wildfires and floods we have witnessed this summer should end any further delay to needed climate action. Local elected leaders see first-hand the consequences of fossil-fuel-driven climate impacts, and we are sounding the alarm to our federal government. “Our country is under threat on two fronts — economic bullying from our neighbour and growing climate disasters and harms. Both threats are inextricably linked: their solutions, too, are one and the same. Canada can and must say Elbows Up…for Climate, and invest in nation-building, climate-forward solutions to address trade and climate challenges to our communities.”said David Miller, Managing Director of the C40 Centre for City Climate Policy and Economy, former Mayor of Toronto, and Co-Chair of the Elbows Up For Climate campaign.
Municipalities know what their communities need to adapt: infrastructure built to withstand extreme weather, adequate and rapid funding when disaster strikes, and emergency crews who can respond before a crisis turns deadly. Local leaders are calling for two things: a real commitment to cutting the emissions driving that disruption in the first place and adequate funding for the essential adaptation their communities need.
True Nation-Building Protects Canadians: One set of investments to address two crises.
Nearly 300 mayors and councillors behind the Elbows Up For Climate campaign are calling on the federal government to use the fall budget to fund nation-building projects that reduce Canada’s dependence on fossil fuels while meeting its economic challenges. As Canada responds to new U.S. tariffs, the budget will be another test of whether Ottawa is willing to defend the economy and protect communities from climate impacts with one set of investments rather than trading one against the other. The campaign is asking the federal government to:
- invest directly in a clean electricity grid, retaining a public equity stake in interregional transmission projects.
- require federal housing investments to deliver high-performing, energy-efficient and affordable homes.
- fund and resource a national resilience, response and recovery strategy.
Mayors and councillors say these investments would create jobs and draw on Canadian steel, aluminum and lumber, sectors now facing American tariffs. “The fossil fuel industry, whose largest Canadian producers are majority American-owned, is trying to make Canadians believe we must choose: abundant clean energy or economic sovereignty, resilient communities or independence, homes powered cleanly or homes that add to the pollution driving these fires. That is a false choice. These solutions are interconnected; one and the same,” added David Miller.
“The scale of impacts Canadians are facing underscores the urgency with which we need federal policies that keep our citizens, and our economy, safe. The human and financial costs of climate inaction will only grow, but Canada has an exceptional opportunity to protect our cities from climate impacts while ensuring reliable energy for communities and the next generation of jobs,” said Ben Hendriksen, Mayor of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
The campaign is also calling on the federal government to introduce an excess profits tax on oil and gas companies, following the example of other G7 countries, to help pay for these investments. Canadian oil and gas companies stand to collect an estimated $90 billion in first-quarter windfall profits from the price shock linked to the 2026 conflict in Iran. Canada’s four largest publicly traded oil producers posted a combined $13.3 billion in after-tax profit in the second quarter of 2026, almost $150 million a day. That is up 144% from the same quarter in 2025. Two in three Canadians, 66%, support such a tax, according to a 2026 Liaison Stratégies poll commissioned by Climate Caucus.
Local Leaders on the Front Lines
“Extreme heat, dangerous air quality from smog and wildfires and, most recently, intense flooding in southwestern Ontario are endangering our communities and impacting municipal services, infrastructure, sports, public events and more. The price of climate change isn’t just measured in dollars. It’s measured in the growing health concerns caused by heat and toxic air, in increased anxiety and stress, and in the increased pressures municipalities are facing to keep residents and infrastructure safe. We urgently need our federal government to prioritize nation-building policies that acknowledge the scale of the climate change problem — and the viability of existing solutions,”said Dorothy McCabe, Mayor of Waterloo, Ontario.
“From severe storms and flooding to tornado threats and extreme heat, Regina is seeing the growing impacts of pollution-driven climate change. Our city is taking increasing action to respond to these risks, but we cannot do it alone. We need the federal government to accelerate investments that reduce pollution and strengthen the infrastructure cities rely on to keep people safe,” said Shanon Zachidniak, Councillor for Ward 8, Regina, Saskatchewan.
“Over 50 municipalities declared a state of emergency due to flooding. Residents in Winnipeg prepared to receive their relatives from those towns while facing their own severe basement flooding, sewer backups and damage from inadequate stormwater capacity. Cities like Winnipeg have old infrastructure that is not equipped for the extreme weather born of climate change. That’s why we need nation-building projects and a federal government that is responsive to the calls of cities for a dedicated resilience and recovery strategy to directly fund this type of infrastructure,” said Sherri Rollins, Councillor for Winnipeg, Manitoba.
“In Gatineau, climate change is no longer a distant threat: it is already showing up in more frequent flooding, tornado warnings, and signs of landslides, a reminder of the urgency of acting to protect our neighbourhoods and our families. Municipalities are the level of government closest to citizens, and so they are on the front lines of this fight, but they cannot take on a challenge of this scale alone. We need to act now, collectively, with shared responsibilities and resources equal to the challenges our communities face,” said Rachel Deslauriers, City Councillor for the Mitigomijokan district, City of Gatineau, Chair of the Commission on the Environment and the Fight Against Climate Change.
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About Elbows Up For Climate
Elbows Up For Climate is a campaign from nearly 300 mayors and councillors advocating for nation-building projects that protect Canada from the dual crises of climate breakdown and economic instability, and make our communities safer, more affordable and prosperous. It is anchored by Climate Caucus, the largest network of climate-forward local elected leaders in Canada. Climate Caucus produces research, convenes experts to support the needs of local elected officials, and leads advocacy campaigns to ensure that municipal priorities are reflected in decisions made by all levels of government.
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