Part 2: Committee Leadership, Heat Pump Support, and Climate Direction – 03/03/2026

The meeting continued under the chairing of Councillor Kate MacNaughton, with Jane Lesslie leading much of the discussion flow and keeping the agenda moving. Early in the meeting, the committee confirmed its leadership for another term. John Hirsch nominated Councillor MacNaughton to continue as chair, saying there was no reason to change what was already working. Jane Lesslie had also indicated she would have nominated MacNaughton. No other nominations were put forward. For vice-chair, Lesslie nominated Angus Ross, and again there were no additional nominations. When the formal motion came forward, the committee voted in favour of appointing MacNaughton as chair and Ross as vice-chair.

That set the tone for the rest of the meeting. On the leadership side, there was no sign of division. The committee appeared comfortable with keeping its current structure in place.

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When the conversation shifted to the proposed heat pump support program, Lesslie was the main voice explaining where things stand. She told the committee that early discussions had already happened with local businesses and community partners, including Home Hardware locations and the County Foundation, with the aim of finding a way to purchase, deliver, and install heat pumps for vulnerable residents.

Albert Paschkewitz, speaking from staff, added more detail and described it as a possible home climate equity pilot program focused on helping people who are at risk during hotter summers and who may not be able to afford cooling on their own.

There was support for the direction of that work, but members also raised practical questions.

John Hirsch pointed to provincial rebate programs and said he hoped the local program would be designed in a way that could take advantage of any available subsidies. Lesslie responded that the proposed local program likely would not fit the standard rebate model, since this was being framed more as an adaptation measure than a greenhouse gas reduction program, though partner organizations could still help eligible people connect to other low-income supports.

Angus Ross also weighed in and asked whether there might be a way to separate households currently using oil or gas heating from those already using electric heating, so that any greenhouse gas reductions could still be partly recognized. Paschkewitz said that was worth considering, though he suspected many of the households most in need might be renters.

When the matter came to a vote, the committee carried the information item in favour after Lesslie called for support and no opposition was recorded.

The most detailed exchange of the meeting happened during Don Wilford’s presentation on greenhouse gas emissions. Wilford did most of the talking in that section, walking members through the data and arguing that the County needs to think seriously about both mitigation and adaptation.

After the presentation, John Hirsch was one of the first to respond. He praised the work as a major effort and asked a practical question about how the findings could fit into a trackable climate action plan. Wilford answered that a full annual repeat of the analysis would not make sense, but targeted tracking could, especially if the County could gather better information on electricity use, fuel switching, and heating technology adoption.

Angus Ross added another angle. He said the County’s role in education should not be to pretend it has all the expertise itself, but to make useful information easier for residents to find. He said people interested in heat pumps or geothermal often do not know where to go for reliable advice, what systems work in very cold weather, or what costs to expect. Wilford responded by pointing to public events and speaker sessions as one possible model, where suppliers and residents with direct experience could share practical information.

The committee ultimately voted in favour of receiving Wilford’s presentation. Later, during the next item, Lesslie brought forward a motion for the committee to endorse the Climate Action Plan Working Group presentation previously given to Committee of the Whole and to send a letter of thanks to the working group members. Ross said the presentation had been well received by council and by the broader community, and he described the media response as strong as well. That motion also carried in favour.

On green design guidelines, Lesslie again led the update. She explained that although council had already approved green design guidelines in principle, they had still not been fully implemented. She said she had learned from outside experts that municipalities can still incorporate such guidelines through official plans or secondary plans, even if there are limits on making them mandatory. Ross suggested the County should look at incentives such as faster approvals or lower development charges for genuinely green building design. John Hirsch agreed with the idea of bringing in more expertise and said Dan Leeming could be helpful, though he also warned that staff workload may be a real barrier. The committee received that discussion in favour as well.

What this means for the locals

For the County residents, the clearest takeaway is that the committee is not just talking in broad climate terms. Members are starting to sort out who should do what, what tools the County actually has, and where local programs could make a direct difference.

For households struggling with summer heat, the proposed heat pump support program could become one of the most practical ideas discussed at the meeting.

For residents concerned about new development, the push to revive green design guidelines means the committee is still trying to connect growth with better building standards. And for the broader community, the strong support shown for the emissions report means climate planning is being taken seriously enough to shape future policy conversations, not just sit on a shelf.

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Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 1:33:41. Due to the length of the meeting, our team was not able to independently review the full recording in its entirety. As a result, we relied on software-generated transcription, automated summarization, and automated recognition of speakers and participants, which may not be entirely accurate. All transcriptions, summaries, and related content are prepared by our team in good faith and on a reasonable best-efforts basis. The content is provided for general informational purposes only and is intended to support public understanding of the topics discussed. While reasonable efforts have been made to present the information accurately, automated processes may result in errors, omissions, or unintended misinterpretations. This article does not constitute an official, certified, or verbatim record of the meeting, and it should not be relied upon as such. Readers are encouraged to consult original source materials, official minutes, or recordings where available for confirmation or clarification. Questions, requests for clarification, or suggested corrections may be submitted to hello@pecconnect.ca for review and consideration.