MARCH 2022

Interested in seeing and learning more about heat pumps before you make the switch? Our travelling heat pump exhibit is visiting four neighbourhoods across Vancouver this year, where you can find out more about the most energy-efficient heating and cooling systems available on today’s market. 

Benefits of switching to a heat pump:

• Heat pumps do it all – they deliver year-round comfort and make your home more climate resilient by providing energy-efficient heating in the winter and cooling in the summer. 
• Making the switch from burning natural gas, a fossil fuel, to renewable energy can reduce your space heating carbon footprint by over 90%. 
• Transitioning to heating and cooling systems powered by electricity is a key climate solution, as electricity is 97% renewable in BC., 
• Vancouver residents can access over $12,000 in rebates from CleanBC and the City of Vancouver when they install an eligible system. 

Heat pumps are an important part of reaching our Climate Emergency Action Plan target of cutting carbon pollution from buildings in half by 2030, as 60% of Vancouver’s emissions come from burning natural gas for space and water heating in our homes and buildings.

YOUR TURN

Visit our heat pump exhibit at locations across the city to learn about the different types of heat pumps, and how they work to make your home more climate friendly, and how to access over $12,000 in rebates.

• Hillcrest Community Centre - February 16 to April 6
• Kitsilano Community Centre - April 6 to May 1
• City Hall - May 1 to July 11
• Killarney Community Centre - July 11 to August 15

Learn more about heat pumps at our website. You can also participate in the Bring It Home 4 Climate Program to receive a free virtual home energy check-up and access webinars and resources.

SUPPORTING: CLIMATE EMERGENCY

The City of Vancouver is launching a new initiative, called Kid Commute: A Walking School Bus Program, offering children a fun, new and climate-friendly way to get to school. The program brings together groups of students from the same school to walk under the supervision of designated leaders. These groups walk along predetermined routes each school day with planned stops to pick up or drop off kids, just like a conventional school bus.

The goals of the new program are to encourage active travel, lessen congestion around schools, and reduce carbon pollution, which supports the targets of the Climate Emergency Action Plan and Transportation 2040 Plan. The program also creates opportunities for kids to socialize on the way to school and engage with their neighbourhood. Kid Commute is a partnership between the City of Vancouver, Translink, the Vancouver School Board and Dedicated Action for School Health (DASH).

Currently, the program is running at Cunningham, Lord Selkirk Annex, and Trafalgar elementary schools. 

YOUR TURN

Families or school administrators who want to get involved with the program should reach out to DASH by emailing info@dashbc.ca. 

Visit School Active Travel Planning to learn more about how we promote walking, cycling and rolling to school.  

SUPPORTING: CLIMATE EMERGENCY

Engaging children in environmental protection can instill a lifelong ethic of stewardship that will be vital to dealing with our climate crisis. 

Sienna found out about the Adopt-a-Catch-Basin program when her school decided to participate. When she told her family about it, her brother Caleb wanted to get involved. They adopted and named three catch basins: Leafy, Leafy 2, and Leafy Love. They soon noticed that keeping their catch basins clear of leaves prevented street flooding and it was easier for them to walk down to the beach.

As Sienna and Caleb observed, small actions (and small hands) can have a big impact!  By taking action to protect our waterbodies and drain systems, they protect our environment and homes and support the City’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy. 

YOUR TURN

You can become a neighbourhood hero today by visiting our catch basin map (catch basins with a heart are more prone to flooding and need a little extra love). Feel free to get creative: post a pic of your newly adopted catch basin and tell us what you named it. Remember to tag @cityofvancouver and @greenestcity.

SUPPORTING: ADAPTATION

Want to become a climate champion in your neighbourhood? Learn about community-based climate solutions by signing up for the Cool ‘Hood Champs program. 
 
Cool ‘Hood Champs is a series of interactive workshops led by a team of climate change and urban forestry experts from UBC’s Collaborative for Advanced Landscape Planning. Participants will learn how to identify and plan for climate impacts in their neighbourhood, and work together to envision what a climate-friendly neighbourhood could look like. Through this process, you can champion climate action within your community, and learn how your own neighbourhood-level efforts connect to local and provincial climate policies. 

Cool ‘Hood Champs is funded by the City’s Greenest City Grant program and partially sponsored by Trout Lake Community Centre Association. 
 
YOUR TURN

Sign up for a workshop series in Killarney, Hastings, or Trout Lake. Each series is customized to the neighbourhood’s unique environment, so make sure to choose the series closest to where you live. The workshops are free, include training materials like the Citizen’s Coolkit, and consist of three sessions starting as early as March 26. 

SUPPORTING: CLIMATE EMERGENCY