Resilience Peer Network (RSPN) - Community Energy Association

The Resilience Peer Network will allow stakeholders to bring expertise from their unique subject area and, in concert with other experts, collaborate on solutions that amplify beneficial outcomes and truly build resilience through community health, economic development, food security, and risk assessment for example. Further, bringing people together in one common space that may not normally collaborate with each other can minimize silos between ongoing work and expand opportunities for synergies. Network members will gain opportunities to receive support from their peers working in this space, learn from other’s successes and challenges, have strategic conversations to align the work that needs to be done with what is already happening, and identify and build best practices that will be dispersed throughout the province.

For any questions please email peernetworks@communityenergy.ca

Quarterly Session Summary (June 13, 2025)

Meeting Objectives:

To surface community needs and priorities for advancing adaptation
To build an understanding of where we would like to further learn, connect, and share

Highlights:

Chad Pacholik from Logic League Consulting, discussed how we can integrate emergency management and climate adaptation, and address risk through equity-centered approaches and collaboration.
Communities assessed their adaptation progress in regional groups, identifying challenges and priorities like climate data interpretation, internal and external coordination, and community engagement.
EMCR shared updates on new resources, including the Climate Ready BC website as a growing hub for disaster and climate risk information, and new guidance documents on health-climate integration and extreme heat/landslide mapping.
CAS announced a forthcoming Best Practices on Climate Action Guidebook for local governments and modern treaty nations and noted that the provincial-level risk assessment update has been completed and will be released soon, though EDMA regulations and regional risk assessments are still in development.

Co-Chairs: Ruth Midgley and Sam Sedlowsky, CEA

View the co-created session resource here

Watch the full recording here

Time	Notes	Speaker(s)
0:00	Welcome This is a relaunch of the Resilience Peer Network, which will now be offering a variety of sessions including quarterly peer meetings, deep dives, and lunch & learns. The goal is to provide a space for learning, connecting, and sharing among network members to meet their needs around advancing climate adaptation. Each session will aim to co-create a resource that highlights key themes, insights, and resources discussed. Equity and reconciliation considerations will be integrated throughout the work. Participants are encouraged to actively contribute, ask questions, and share their experiences and challenges. The meeting will start with community guidelines to set the tone for an inclusive and respectful discussion. Introduction to the Kōrero AI Land Acknowledgement helper on native-land.ca	Sam Sedlowsky, Community Energy Association
7:11	Context Setting: Emergency Response and Climate Adaptation and Fireside chat Disasters are not "natural"—they result from collective decisions about how and where we build, and the systems we establish and maintain. Disasters affect people unequally due to underlying social, environmental, and built environment factors. Risk is dynamic and changes over time, even for individuals. The term “vulnerable populations” can be problematic—it’s important to recognize people's existing capacities and adopt an equity-centered approach that addresses systemic inequalities. To address systemic risk, three main principles were proposed: Avoid creating new risk. Reduce existing risk. Manage residual risk. Emphasized the value of experimentation and the importance of being willing to “fail forward.” Discussed the balance between confronting severe climate risks and recognizing community strengths and adaptive capacity. Suggested that risk assessments should consider both immediate and slow-onset risks. Highlighted the importance of grounding risk assessments in community values and risk tolerance. Stressed the need to act with “enough” information instead of waiting for complete data, to avoid decision-making paralysis. Discussed how to communicate the importance of experimentation and “failing forward” to leadership—suggesting the use of co-benefits and a call for brave leadership. Underlined the need to integrate emergency management and climate adaptation efforts throughout organizations, avoiding silos. Overall, emphasized that climate risks and disasters are systemic and complex, requiring integrated, collaborative, and innovative approaches.	Chad Pacholik, Logic League Consulting Ruth Midgley, Community Energy Association
37:48	Adaptation Pathway Mapping Activity The activity was based on the GMF Climate Ready Communities Framework, which outlines three key pillars for climate adaptation: 1. People, Partnerships, and Governance This pillar focuses on building internal human and financial resources, as well as external collaboration with neighboring communities, Indigenous groups, regional governments, and community organizations. It also involves getting council/leadership commitment and raising awareness/engagement internally and with the broader community. 2. Risk and Adaptation Planning This involves conducting climate risk and vulnerability assessments to identify key impacts and risks. It then leads to the development of a climate adaptation plan, which can be integrated into existing plans or be a standalone document. 3. Implementation and Integration This final pillar is about actually putting the adaptation plan into action across the organization. It includes monitoring, reviewing, and iterating on the plan over time.	Ruth Midgley, Community Energy Association
42:29	Regional Breakout Part 1 – Where Are We Now? Participants were asked to first reflect on where their community/ organization currently sits on this adaptation pathway. They were encouraged to use sticky notes to mark their progress, and add context if needed. The next step was for the regional breakout groups to brainstorm 1-3 key goals or actions they want to focus on in the next 2-3 years to advance their adaptation work. This could involve anything from building partnerships, to conducting a risk assessment, to starting implementation of specific projects.	Everyone
45:43	Large Group Debrief The participants shared several insights from placing themselves on the adaptation pathway framework: Many felt they were still in the early stages, with a lot of work to do across the different milestones. There was a sense of having resource and capacity constraints to really make progress. Some were surprised to realize that emergency management and disaster risk reduction teams need to be integrated into the climate adaptation work, not siloed. There was a recognition that climate adaptation can't be the responsibility of just one department. Participants expressed uncertainty about having all the necessary information and data to fully assess where they are. They would need to consult with others across their organization and community to get a more complete picture. There was a common theme around the challenges of coordination - both internally across departments, and externally with partners and stakeholders. Integrating climate adaptation throughout an organization is difficult work. Overall, the participants seemed to feel they were still in the early stages of their adaptation journey, with significant work ahead to build the necessary resources, relationships and processes. But there was also an acknowledgement that this will be an ongoing, iterative process without a clear endpoint.	Ruth Midgley, Community Energy Association
52:24	Breakout Part 2 – Where Do We Want to Go? The groups were asked to identify what knowledge gaps, relationships, or other supports they would need in order to achieve those near-term goals. This feedback is intended to help shape the Resilience Peer Network's future programming and resources. A few common themes emerged from the group debrief: Goals and Actions: Improving data and information sharing - both accessing better climate data/projections as well as sharing knowledge and best practices across communities Integrating climate adaptation into official plans and policies (e.g. Official Community Plans, Emergency Plans) Building cross-departmental and cross-organizational collaboration and alignment on adaptation Increasing community engagement and public education around climate risks and preparedness Knowledge Gaps and Relationships: Need for more technical expertise and guidance on conducting climate risk/vulnerability assessments and developing adaptation plans Desire to learn from and connect with other communities facing similar challenges Requirement for stronger relationships and partnerships with Indigenous communities and community organizations Lack of internal capacity and resources to dedicate to adaptation planning and implementation Participants expressed that having structured opportunities like the Resilience Peer Network to share learnings, access training, and build relationships would be very valuable in helping them make progress on their adaptation goals.	Everyone
54:12	Update from Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (EMCR) Amanda Broad is the Manager for Disaster Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Policy and Practice at the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (EMCR) in British Columbia. She provided an overview of some of the key resources and initiatives the ministry has been working on to support communities with disaster and climate risk: Climate Ready BC Website This is intended to be a one-stop shop for disaster and climate risk information, with new resources added monthly. It includes a resource catalog, hazard-specific portals (e.g. microzonation, landslides), and a calendar of relevant events. The ministry is also doing a major UX refresh of the website to improve accessibility and usability. Guidance Documents The Ministry of Health has released a "Risk to Resilience" report on the health impacts of climate change. They've also put out new guidance documents for local governments and First Nations on integrating health and climate considerations. EMCR is also soon releasing a best practices guide on extreme heat mapping, as well as a landslide mapping guidance document. Funding Programs The Emergency Preparedness Fund and Disaster Resilience and Innovation Fund are open for applications. EMCR is also working on new requirements for local governments and the province around disaster and climate risk assessments, as part of the new Emergency and Disaster Management Act. Indigenous Knowledge and Equity EMCR is developing fact sheets on incorporating Indigenous knowledge and addressing intersectional disadvantage into risk assessments. They've also funded research through the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions and the Social Planning and Research Council of BC on these topics. Amanda emphasized that EMCR is working hard to consolidate resources, provide guidance, and support funding to help communities across BC build their disaster and climate resilience. She encouraged participants to stay tuned for upcoming opportunities and resources.	Amanda Broad, EMCR
1:00:40	Update from Climate Action Secretariat Dave Aharonian is a Senior Policy Analyst with the Climate Action Secretariat. Dave provided some additional context and updates from the Climate Action Secretariat (CAS) perspective: Emergency and Disaster Management Act (EDMA) Requirements Dave confirmed that the regulations for the new EDMA requirements for local authorities are still in development by EMCR. The latest information is that the regulations may be released by the end of this calendar year. However, Dave emphasized that local governments don't need to start working on these requirements yet, as guidance will be provided when the regulations are finalized. Provincial Disaster and Climate Risk Assessment Dave noted that the provincial-level risk assessment update has been completed and will be released soon. The next phase is regional-level assessments, which CAS and EMCR are still working to figure out the approach for. Dave said there likely won't be much progress on the regional assessments this calendar year, as the focus has been on finishing the provincial report first. However, these regional assessments are intended to help feed into and support local-level risk assessments down the road. Best Practices Guidebook Dave highlighted that CAS has been working with Pinna Consulting to develop a "Best Practices Guidebook on Climate Action" for local governments and modern treaty nations in BC. This guidebook is intended to provide guidance beyond just how to use the Local Government Climate Action Program (LGCAP) funding, but more broadly on getting started with climate action. The guidebook will cover both mitigation and adaptation/resilience, with those elements integrated throughout. Dave expects the guidebook to be released in about a month's time. Dave acknowledged the feedback that communities need more capacity to actually implement climate action, rather than just more resources. But he believes this guidebook can still be a helpful addition to the suite of supports available.	Dave Aharonian, CAS
1:05:40	CoNext Offer CoNext is a program that aims to provide training and support to help small, rural, and remote communities in British Columbia advance their climate adaptation and resilience planning. The core of the program is a 5-session adaptation training series that runs from September through January. Erica noted this is particularly targeted at communities that are in the earlier stages of climate adaptation work, or those where the expertise is concentrated in just one or two people. The key objectives of the CoNext program are: Provide an orientation to the landscape of climate adaptation resources and tools available. Erica acknowledged there are many resources out there, so CoNext aims to help curate and connect participants with the most relevant ones. Build adaptation planning capacity within a team. CoNext requires applicants to apply as a team of at least 3 people, which can include a mix of folks from within the organization as well as external partners like neighboring communities or First Nations. Offer customized facilitation and support. Each community team is paired with a dedicated facilitator who can help them navigate the training content and connect with appropriate resources. The training curriculum covers topics like understanding climate impacts, conducting risk assessments, adaptation planning, working with climate data, and communicating adaptation priorities. Erica emphasized the importance of this team-based, customized approach, rather than a one-size-fits-all training. The goal is to build durable, cross-organizational capacity within the participating communities. The CoNext program will be opening its next expression of interest process next week, with a deadline of July 11th. Erica encouraged interested communities to reach out if they have any questions about assembling their team or the application process.	Erica Crawford, CoNext
1:10:45	Cohort Offer Ruth explained that in addition to the regular Resilience Peer Network meetings, the program will be offering two types of more intensive learning cohorts: Planning Cohorts: These cohorts will be focused on helping communities work through the planning and assessment stages of adaptation. Potential topics could include: Assessing current state and building a roadmap forward Guidance on conducting a climate risk and vulnerability assessment Regional planning exercises (e.g. at a watershed scale) Change management and organizational integration of adaptation Action Cohorts: For communities that have progressed past the planning stage, these cohorts will support implementation and action. Examples could include: Co-creating a regional vision or project with other communities Developing monitoring and progress tracking frameworks Diving deep into specific project areas (e.g. urban forests for climate resilience) The key goals of these cohorts are to: Provide more intensive, hands-on support and expert guidance Enable peer-to-peer learning and collaboration between communities facing similar challenges Help communities make tangible progress on their adaptation priorities Participants will have the option to join solo or bring a team from their organization/community. The time commitment would be around 4-6 sessions over 4-6 months, with coaching and support in between. Ruth emphasized that the cohorts will be designed based on the specific needs and interests expressed by the participating communities. An expression of interest form will be released in the next few days for communities to indicate their areas of focus and challenges. The cohorts are intended to complement the broader Resilience Peer Network programming, providing a more tailored and intensive learning experience for those communities ready to dive deeper into adaptation planning and implementation.	Ruth Midgley, Community Energy Association
1:13:43	Closing	Sam Sedlowsky, Community Energy Association

Resilience Lunch & Learn #2: Bringing Resilience into Disaster Risk Reduction (February 22, 2024)

Resilience: Insights, Strategies, and Collaborative Dialogues for Climate Action at the Provincial Level (January 25, 2024)

Resilience Lunch & Learn #1: Low Carbon Resilience 101 (January 11, 2024)

Talking it through: Guide for local government staff on climate adaptation

Do you need help starting climate conversations in your municipality? Check out our Talking it Through: A Discussion Guide for Local Government Staff on Climate Adaptation.

This resource was created to help municipal staff talk to decision-makers and elected officials about adapting to the local impacts of climate change. It can help you understand your community’s context, identify your most effective climate action allies, plan the content of your conversations, and navigate those discussions with knowledge and skill.

Additional resources are found on this page

Together, we can make British Columbia a safer, more resilient province

ClimateReadyBC is an online platform to help the public and communities:

Understand disaster and climate risks
Find funding and supports to make communities more resilient

The platform is a disaster and climate risk reduction tool for public and community use.

It's also a hub for future collaboration and growth. ClimateReadyBC will evolve through engagement with First Nations, local governments, and other partners.

Deeper collaboration and open access to risk data will prepare us to respond to disasters and climate-related events.

Our goal is to build a service that meets the needs of communities across British Columbia.

Climate Preparedness and Adaptation Strategy (CPAS)

Outlines a broad range of actions for 2022-2025 to address climate impacts and build resilience across B.C. View the CPAS and more here

Time	Notes	Speaker(s)
0:00:00	Welcome	Sam Sedlowsky, CEA
0:06:18	Fireside chat - part 1 Why Emergency Management and Climate Resiliency has emerged as a ministry How government agencies work together Sendai framework Regulations & EDMA	Amanda Broad, EMCR Maya Chorobik, CEA
0:24:02	Presentation: Integrated Disaster and Climate Risk and Resilience Assessment Slide Deck	Amanda Broad, EMCR
0:41:34	Fireside chat - part 2 Local government role Risk assessments - scale and framework ClimateReadyBC.ca Climate Grief	Amanda Broad, EMCR Maya Chorobik, CEA
0:57:37	Closing question: Share one word or phrase that reflects what you are taking away from this session.	Sam Sedlowsky, CEA

Time	Notes	Speaker(s)
0:00:00	Welcome Introduction to CEA & Peer Networks	Sam Sedlowsky, CEA Maya Chorobik, CEA
0:06:44	Introduction to Low Carbon Resilience	Kacia Tolsma, CEA
0:17:05	Regional District Low Carbon Resilience	Freya Phillips, RDKB
0:30:13	Low Carbon Resilience in Practice	Laura Sampliner, City of Coquitlam
0:45:53	Q&A	Facilitated by Maya Chorobik, CEA
0:58:20	Conclusion	Sam Sedlowsky, CEA

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