Part 2: Climate Funding, Rain Garden Support, and Youth Engagement – 06/04/2024

Climate Adaptation Funding and County Readiness

Albert Paschkowiak led much of the discussion around the new Federation of Canadian Municipalities climate adaptation funding program. He explained that Prince Edward County’s documented flooding history and shoreline vulnerability could strengthen future funding applications.

Committee members agreed that the County is increasingly facing climate-related infrastructure pressure, especially around erosion, stormwater management, and extreme weather events.

For residents, this discussion matters because successful applications could help fund future flood mitigation projects, shoreline stabilization, drainage improvements, and broader climate resilience planning without placing the full burden on local taxpayers.

© PEC Council (YouTube)

View the entire PEC Council Meeting; or view our recap.

The conversation also reinforced that adaptation planning is becoming essential, not optional, for municipalities dealing with growing environmental risk.

Rain Garden Program and Stormwater Solutions

A major portion of the meeting focused on the Bay of Quinte Rain Garden Program, presented by Jason Jouin from the Bay of Quinte Remedial Action Plan.

He explained how rain gardens help reduce stormwater runoff by allowing water to soak naturally into the ground instead of overwhelming drainage systems and waterways. The program also offers financial incentives to residents who install qualifying rain gardens or disconnect downspouts from municipal systems.

Committee members asked detailed questions about how the program could work in urban areas, near shorelines, and alongside drainage ditches.

The discussion showed strong support for practical, property-level environmental improvements that residents can participate in directly.

For homeowners, this creates opportunities to improve landscaping while also helping reduce localized flooding, runoff pressure, and water pollution.

The committee formally voted to receive the deputation, signaling clear support for the program and its environmental goals.

Youth Engagement and Environmental Participation

The committee spent considerable time discussing how to better involve young people in environmental planning and climate conversations.

Jane Lesslie, Ben Thornton, Paulina Szlachta, and Albert Paschkowiak all contributed ideas focused on building long-term relationships with youth rather than organizing a single short-term event.

Members discussed possible outreach through schools, youth organizations, public consultations, and committee recruitment opportunities. There was broad agreement that younger residents should have more opportunities to participate in environmental decision-making before major policies or projects are finalized.

For local youth, this discussion signals growing recognition that future climate and environmental decisions will directly shape their communities, infrastructure, and quality of life.

Environmental Planning and Development Review

The meeting also included updates tied to ongoing environmental review work connected to planning applications and development pressures.

Albert Paschkowiak outlined work involving the Loyalist Heights and Fawcettville files, along with discussions surrounding tree protection and environmental review standards.

These conversations highlighted how environmental considerations are increasingly being integrated into development decisions, especially around natural cover, grading, and long-term land use impacts.

For residents, this affects how future growth is managed and how natural systems, tree cover, and environmentally sensitive areas may be protected as development applications move forward.

Climate Action Working Group Progress

Ben Thornton provided updates from the Climate Action Working Group, including ongoing greenhouse gas data collection and work toward a broader county-wide climate action framework.

He confirmed that discussions continue with multiple sectors, including agriculture, as the County works toward more accurate emissions tracking and future reduction strategies.

This work supports longer-term planning around infrastructure, farming, transportation, and land use policy.

For locals, these discussions shape how Prince Edward County may eventually respond to climate targets, energy planning, and sustainability expectations over the coming years.

Votes, Motions, and Committee Direction

All motions before the committee passed unanimously.

This included approval of the agenda and previous meeting minutes, formally receiving the rain garden deputation, accepting working group updates, supporting youth engagement discussions, and receiving work plan updates.

The meeting reflected strong alignment around several key priorities, including climate resilience, community-based environmental solutions, practical adaptation planning, and long-term public engagement.

For residents, the overall direction of the meeting signaled continued movement toward more proactive environmental planning that connects infrastructure, climate risk, development, and community participation together rather than treating them as separate issues.

---

Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 1:26:13. 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.