OCTOBER 2024

BC Hydro is offering their residential customers an opportunity to earn rewards for reducing or shifting electricity use during peak demand periods through the Peak Saver program.

Throughout the winter season, BC Hydro will hold peak events lasting no more than four hours at periods of high electricity demand. During these events, any smart home device(s) you enroll in the Peak Saver program will be remotely adjusted. This may mean delaying your EV charging for a few hours or lowering the temperature on your smart thermostat by a couple of degrees. After an event ends, your devices will return to their normal operation. You can opt out of the event at any time, and you'll always maintain full override control of your devices.

This program is aligned with the Climate Emergency Action Plan, which has the goal of cutting carbon pollution in half by 2030.

YOUR TURN

Enroll your eligible smart devices (e.g., smart thermostats and electric vehicle chargers) in the Peak Saver Program to earn a $50 reward for participating from November 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025. By taking part in Peak Saver, you can help reduce peaks in electricity demand in your community, and enjoy the financial rewards offered by BC Hydro.

SUPPORTING: CLIMATE EMERGENCY

Emergencies and disasters can happen without warning. The good news is that it’s easier to stay focused, be safe and take action against hazards like earthquakes and extreme weather events when you’re prepared. Explore the initiatives that Vancouver Emergency Management Agency is launching this month and learn how to better prepare for hazards like extreme heat, wildfire smoke, coastal flooding, and extreme rainfall.

Climate change is growing the importance of being prepared for extreme weather events. The Climate Change Adaptation Strategy is Vancouver’s near-term plan to prepare for the projected changes we can expect in Vancouver by 2050:

• Warmer summers and longer hotter and more frequent heat waves.
• More frequent poor air quality days because of wildfire smoke and ground level ozone.
• Increased frequency of droughts due to longer dry spells and warmer summers.
• More frequent and intense rainfall events due to shifting precipitation patterns.
• One meter sea level rise by 2100, which will be worsened by king tides and storms.

YOUR TURN 

• Take the Emergency Preparedness Survey: Share your thoughts and help shape the future of emergency preparedness and climate hazard education programs in the city. Survey closes on November 6.
• Visit the Interactive Hazard & Risk Explorer: Learn how extreme weather events could affect you and the steps that the City is taking to mitigate and prepare for these risks in this interactive educational map.
• Make your own air cleaner and watch the BREATHE Documentary about the community-based do-it-yourself Air Cleaner workshops, an initiative of Simon Fraser University BREATHE, BC Lung Foundation and the City of Vancouver. Instructions to make your own air cleaner are available in 12 languages.

SUPPORTING: CLIMATE ADAPTATION 

School is in full swing across Vancouver!

The City’s School Active Travel Program promotes safe, fun and climate-friendly ways for students to get to school. These programs encourage physical activity in a safe environment, help students develop a better understanding of their neighbourhood and build a sense of community. 

Burning gasoline and fossil fuels in our vehicles creates nearly 40% of Vancouver’s carbon pollution. That’s why choosing active transportation for your school commute is an excellent way to reduce traffic congestion, reduce carbon and air pollution and contribute to our 2030 goal of 2/3 trips taken in Vancouver to be by active transportation and transit. 

YOUR TURN
Interested in getting more families walking, biking, and rolling at your school? Vancouver School Board elementary and secondary schools can apply to participate in these two programs for the 2024 to 2025 school year: 

• Apply for a $500 mini grant for eligible projects that encourage active travel in schools. Applications close on October 18.  
• Apply for the School Streets program and create a car-free block for walking, biking, and rolling in front of the school during drop-off and pick-up times. Expressions of Interest are due November 8 for the Spring 2025 season. 

SUPPORTING: CLIMATE EMERGENCY

There’s an exciting new green space in the Kensington-Cedar Cottage neighbourhood!

The 0.15 ha park is the last remaining section of the historic Gibson’s Creek, a once thriving waterway populated by salmon and trout, which was lost to urban development in the early 20th century. Following advocacy efforts by the local community, the Park Board and City of Vancouver began work on this new permanent park space in 2023. An official park name will be identified at a future date through collaboration between the Park Board and local First Nations.

The park, known locally as “Gibby’s Field”, marks the culmination of local advocacy and a commitment to enhanced biodiversity and improved rainwater integration. Here are a few sustainable benefits: 

• Enhanced habitat for native plants and wildlife, with 64 varieties of native plants.
• An accessible pathway, allowing people to get around by walking and rolling.
• An engineered wetland designed to capture and clean 6,253 m³ of rainfall and rainwater runoff every year, that’s the equivalent of over 62,000 bathtubs!

“Gibby’s Field” is an excellent example of how green infrastructure builds resilience to flooding and can help Vancouver prepare for more frequent and intense rainfall events as a result of climate change.

YOUR TURN: 
Learn more about ‘Gibby’s Field’ and visit the park located at Knight St & East 18th Ave.

SUPPORTING: CLIMATE ADAPTATION