Taking Action Toward Climate Resilience
- kc dyer
- 1 hour ago
- 4 min read
CAC making strides in the community
Notice anything different about the Village Hall lately?
If you've found it's a little warmer these days than it used to be, you are not wrong.
Earlier this summer, the antique, oil-guzzling furnace that has heated the place since it was built was replaced by a state-of-the-art electric heat pump, guaranteed to keep the place warm in winter and cooler in summer. The heat pump was entirely funded by grant money, thanks to a group of volunteers dedicated to helping the Village develop resilience to climate change.
Meet the Climate Action Committee (CAC).
CAC was formed as a select committee in 2021, and like all committees in the Village, reports directly to Council, and acts only in an advisory capacity. Made up of five local residents and two councillors — Councillor Neville Abbott acts as Chair, and he and Councillor Jaime Cunliffe serve as a liaisons between Council and the committee —this group has accomplished a great deal in the past five-or-so years.
Andrew Wray championed the local Recycling Depot, an initiative that opened this past July, and has already met with tremendous success.
Clara George has supported transition planning for the use of renewable fuels and the future electrification of the Village's fleet of vehicles.
Greg Weary leads efforts on natural asset stewardship, wildfire resilience, and watershed awareness.
John Robb supported the successful efforts to bring water metering to the Village, as well as resource conservation and community education on water use.
Norman Barmeier led the Community Hall decarbonization and resilience upgrade initiative, which brought a cleaner and far less-expensive heating system to the Village Hall.
The group has been guided by a Village-wide survey of information collected in 2024. After collating results, CAC members learned that residents' priorities included:
Protecting the watershed and maintaining a reliable year-round water supply
Preparing for summer drought and wildfire risk
Improving recycling and waste diversion access
Supporting the phase-out of outdated oil or propane heating systems
Focusing on realistic, cost-effective measures rather than symbolic targets
Barmeier says the committee took these results to heart, and has used them to guide their 2024-25 work plan. In a recent report to Council, he notes the committee's focus is to "support evidence-based, affordable, and community-driven actions that improve energy efficiency, reduce emissions, and enhance preparedness for climate-related risks such as wildfire, drought, and extreme weather."
The replacement of the aging oil furnace in the Village Hall is a good example of CAC's work in action. Members of the committee made the case to Council for the replacement of the furnace, and showed how it could be done at no cost to local taxpayers, paving the way for Council to approve the change.
The conversion is expected to reduce emissions by approximately 15 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, as well as lowering annual heating costs by 40-50 percent.
Another success story is the recently-approved water metering project. Working with members of the Infrastructure Committee, CAC members looked at case studies from other small municipalities and used a data-driven approach to show the advantages to the Village of water metering.
Barmeier notes that this initiative directly addresses residents’ top survey concern —protection of the watershed and water supply — while also positioning Lions Bay to qualify for future provincial water-management funding.
The new community recycling depot is funded entirely through Recycle BC with no cost to local taxpayers. Residents now have a local drop-off option for materials not included in curbside collection (including flexible plastics, glass, and foam packaging), thereby reducing landfill waste and saving the car trips to the assigned depot in North Vancouver.
Committee members continue to research the advantages of transitioning the Village fleet of vehicles to electric from diesel, as well as stewarding the natural assets of the Village and addressing wildfire awareness.
Of all the projects undertaken, Barmeier says he is most pleased with the hall retrofit. "It was the most impactful in terms of carbon reduction and annual energy savings, but it was also 100% grant funded," he says. "The furnaces were over 40 year old and likely due for replacement soon; we got them replaced for free and are reducing operating costs."
He notes this long-term investment in the community also included a fireplace conversion that meets the latest strict Provincial EPA standards.
CAC members work in collaboration with other volunteer groups in the Village. They partner with Bird Friendly Lions Bay to champion native planting, dark-sky lighting, and habitat awareness. They support the members of Bear Smart in reducing wildlife attractants and inter-species conflict through waste management and public education. And they work to ensure community refuge locations like the Village Hall are resilient and energy-secure along with the members of Emergency Support Services.
Funding for committee initiatives comes from the Local Government Climate Action Program (LGCAP) and from Recycle BC. The LGCAP provides annual funding tied to measurable greenhouse-gas reduction and climate-preparedness reporting, and Recycle BC provides both funding and operational support for waste diversion and recycling expansion.
Looking to the future, CAC has established some priorities for 2026:
Complete an energy and resilience assessment for remaining Village facilities (Fire Hall, Public Works).
Develop a standard fuel procurement and reporting policy for low-carbon fuels (R100).
Continue fleet electrification planning as current vehicles reach end of life.
Support watershed monitoring and natural asset mapping to guide forest and slope management.
Explore community education on home energy retrofits and emergency preparedness.
Active engagement with stakeholder groups supporting the ecosystem recovery of the Howe Sound marine environment including the Ocean Watch Action Committee, the Howe Sound Biosphere Region Initiative Society and the Marine Stewardship Initiative.
In their recent report to Village Council (found on page 202 of Tuesday's meeting agenda HERE), CAC thanks the residents, volunteers and staff who work in partnership to support the work of the committee, and who "reflect the Village’s capacity for collaboration and problem-solving," while seeking "steady, affordable steps that protect our water, forests, and community spaces."
Residents interested in joining CAC can reach out to council@lionsbay.ca.
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Thanks for shedding some light on this. Really appreciate it.