I imagine that there is a tall, teetering stack of reports that CBRM Council has adopted but then ignored somewhere in City Hall. (Perhaps there’s an attic? Or a cellar?) 

In any case, a person with mad Jenga skills extracted the CBRM Climate Change Action Plan from said stack, dusted it off, and the citizenry are to be consulted about how we go forward locally as we face the defining issue of our time. 

Woah. 

Many of us have waited for this day.

It is clear that all levels of government in all countries must prepare for the inevitable effects of climate change.

Alas, CBRM Council is not offering meaningful consultation that people know about.

 Just how hush-hush is this climate change update workshop?

• CBRM posted this notice in the most read online publication on the island - it’s own website. So, very few people saw the notice. 

• If you Google CBRM + Climate Change Update Workshop, you will find zero relevant search results. 

• Counsellor Amanda McDougall, who is also the director of ACAP, found about the workshop too late to submit a request to present: She had to ask for an extension.

Councillor MacDougall was interviewed on CBC MainStreet about this on Thursday, January 16, but the segment is not available, as of yet, for playing. 

But at least CBRM chose a day and time when most interested stakeholders would be readily available. 

Not. 

Imagine that you were responsible for setting the time and day for this important work shop. You would choose Monday at 9:30 AM, right?

(And, this is just off the top of my head, you could require that all participants complete the Rubik’s Cube before being permitted to enter the meeting room?) 

CBRM adopted its Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 6 years ago. You can read it here.

The report clearly lays out actions to be taken regarding consultation and joint planning. 

So, how did CBRM decide to squish its consultation with stakeholders into a morning workshop on a Monday? I will write to ask the communication director. 

As an election looms, we should demand specific commitments to transparency and community consultation from all eventual candidates, and oust those with a clear record of the opposite.