More than 200 communities have been affected by climate impacts in Summer 2025 — not including the 1 in 7 First Nations that also faced wildfires, evacuations, extreme heat and air quality warnings. That means that a staggering 1 in 4 Canadians have faced climate impacts in their communities. The full list, developed by Elbows Up for Climate, can be found here.

As local elected leaders, we know the stress, fear and trauma of these moments are a burden that doesn’t ever fully go away. We know that our communities live with the consequences of these climate impacts long after the headlines, or the alerts, end. We cannot keep dealing with these disasters on our own.

That’s why sharing this reality is so important, as we call on the federal government to prioritize nation-building projects that meet the dual threats of economic uncertainty and climate change.

Already, media have picked up the story, as you can read about here and here.