Part 1: American Eel Protection, Climate Action, and Earth Week Planning Lead PEC Discussions - 03/06/2024
- PECConnect
- Mar 6, 2024
- 4 min read
The meeting opened with quorum confirmed and the agenda approved. No conflicts of interest were declared. Previous meeting minutes were approved. A new committee coordinator was formally welcomed, and members were updated on recent Parks and Recreation master plan engagement.
Council did not approve proposed changes to how the committee shares the chair role, so the committee agreed to continue under the current structure for now, with the chair and vice-chair carrying on.
View the entire PEC Council meeting, or continue to speaker comments and councillor votes>
Community data and environmental indicators
The committee discussed a request from the County Foundation for ideas on local environmental and climate indicators that could be tracked over time. The focus was on finding county-specific data rather than relying only on provincial or federal sources. Members discussed ideas like water scarcity, well water deliveries, watershed data, park impacts, and climate-related risks such as flooding and drought.
Deputation on Mobilizing Municipalities and Earth Day
A deputation was received from Earth Day Canada introducing the Mobilizing Municipalities movement, which recognizes municipal climate actions and supports Earth Day programming. The presentation explained how participation is free and includes promotion, media support, and access to environmental resources.
The committee discussed how the County’s planned Earth Week activities could fit into this program and how events before and after April 22 could still qualify.
Decision to join Mobilizing Municipalities
The committee recommended that council direct staff to register Prince Edward County and its Earth Week activities with the Mobilizing Municipalities movement. The goal is to amplify local environmental work without added cost.
American eel species at risk discussion
Two deputations and one public comment focused on whether the American eel should be added to Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act. Presentations covered the eel’s cultural, ecological, and commercial importance, the impacts of hydroelectric dams, migration barriers, poaching of juvenile eels, and limits of current mitigation programs.
There was strong agreement that the species is under serious threat and that federal protection would support recovery planning.
Decision to provide comments to DFO on American eel
The committee recommended that council direct the Environmental Advisory Committee to submit comments to Fisheries and Oceans Canada supporting adding the American eel to Schedule 1 through the Species at Risk public registry.
Climate action annual report draft
A draft annual Environmental Advisory Committee report was reviewed. Members discussed strengthening sections on challenges and opportunities, especially around climate impacts, agriculture, insurance risk, and extreme weather. Members were asked to submit written input so a revised draft could be finalized.
Working group updates
Updates were shared from several working groups, especially the Climate Action Plan Working Group, which has been meeting frequently and focusing on emissions assessment, climate planning, and applying a climate lens to municipal decisions. External experts have been invited to help avoid duplicating work already done elsewhere.
Other updates included minor planning file comments, accessibility-related park design work at Delhi Park, and upcoming public engagement.
Communications and May climate event
The committee discussed planning for a May 4 climate event, including panels on agriculture, stewardship, and big ideas. Messaging was softened to be more inviting, and efforts are underway to involve youth, local farmers, and environmental groups.
Deadlines for communications materials were noted.
Public surveying and community priorities
The committee discussed whether and how to use surveys to better understand public priorities around climate adaptation and spending. Tools like the Have Your Say platform were reviewed, along with ideas for ranking priorities rather than simple yes-or-no questions. No decisions were made, but the committee agreed to keep exploring options.
Species at risk correspondence
Correspondence from Fisheries and Oceans Canada regarding finalized and proposed recovery strategies for spotted gar and pugnose shiner was received. For the pugnose shiner, which is still under consultation, the committee agreed to prepare comments.
The next meeting date was confirmed, conflicts were noted, and the meeting adjourned at 5:47 p.m.
Key Takeaways
The committee is exploring county-specific environmental indicators to better track local climate and ecological trends, including water, watershed, and park-related data.
Decisions were made to join Earth Day Canada’s Mobilizing Municipalities program and provide comments supporting American eel protection under the Species at Risk Act.
Planning for climate action reporting, public engagement events, and working group initiatives continues, ensuring the committee remains proactive in addressing local environmental and climate priorities.
Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 1:45:01. 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.
Comments