Horwath moves to declare a climate emergency in Ontario

QUEEN’S PARK — NDP Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath is calling on all MPPs to vote to make Ontario the first province in Canada to declare a climate emergency.

On Monday, Horwath will bring forward a motion to recognize climate change as an imminent threat to Ontario’s environment, people and economy, and declare a climate emergency in the province.

“Climate change is not tomorrow’s problem,” said Horwath. “This is not a problem we can punt down the road, and leave for our successors — our children — to tackle. Climate change is happening now, and it is an emergency."

Horwath pointed to recent years' wild fires in the north, flooding in southwest Ontario, tornadoes that ripped through the east part of the province, and now flooding in Pembroke, the Ottawa region, Bracebridge and the Muskokas.

“Declaring a climate emergency is an opportunity for Queen’s Park to change direction, and together take on the biggest challenge mankind has ever faced,” said Horwath.

Ontario would be the first province or territory in Canada to declare a climate emergency, although several municipalities in Ontario and across the country have done so. Horwath will call on Conservative MPPs to vote their conscience, not along party lines, when her motion is debated Monday afternoon.