Innovative practices in local adaptation and community climate resilience in the City of Montreal
Presentation summary
10 a.m. to 11 a.m. : A participatory process for developing systemic adaptation measures; Sybil Zettel and Liane Morin
Since 2023, the staff of the Borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville, in collaboration with the Ville de Montréal’s ecological transition and resilience office, have been conducting a study and design project to develop systemic adaptation measures to flooding. Following the events of 2017, a continuous communication channel was established to inform and prepare the populations that are most at risk. In keeping with this, a participatory process was organized to get around twenty multidisciplinary experts (municipal employees and external consultants) involved, as well as concerned residents. The reason for this approach is to make use of this professional and citizen expertise to analyze the local challenges and opportunities, and then to design urban planning scenarios composed of multiscale and multifunctional measures.
11 a.m. to noon : Community climate resilience at the Ville de Montréal: Collaborating, empowering and taking action; Irène Cloutier
For several years, the Ville de Montréal’s ecological transition and resilience office has been experimenting with the implementation of climate resilience hubs with local partners. There are several ongoing projects to support the emergence of promising local initiatives in partnership with community organizations, institutions, and civil protection and public health authorities. In 2025, the revision of the Ville de Montréal’s 2020-2030 Climate Plan enhanced Action 9, which is aimed at supporting the local emergence of climate resilience hubs in Montréal. This means that a new step has been taken: Montréal’s municipal government now intends to adapt eight municipal community centres so that they meet the population’s need to address climate change, in normal times and in emergency situations.
Learning objectives :
• The added value of sharing a common understanding of the issues, their complexity and the related constraints
• Reflection and experimentation on the complementary notions of local adaptation and community climate resilience
Register for the webinar to get the ZOOM link.
* Presentation in french
Speaker(s)
With a master's degree in urban planning, Liane Morin has been working in the borough of Ahuntsic–Cartierville for eight years and has fifteen years of experience in public participation. She places citizen involvement in decisions that shape their living environment at the heart of her practice. For her, opening up public administration to this participation is an essential lever for ensuring the success and legitimacy of projects.
Sybil holds a master's degree in environment and sustainable development, with a specialization in land use planning. She is dedicated to promoting the common good by integrating climate change adaptation and community resilience issues into urban practices.
Her work focuses on the design and implementation of projects that promote socio-ecological transition and the development of sustainable living environments. Convinced of the physical and psychological benefits of creating green and comprehensive living environments, Sybil advocates approaches based on urban compactness and soft mobility. She incorporates the principles of mesology into her work, emphasizing the links between nature, the history of territories, and quality of life, while ensuring that inequalities are reduced and social connections are strengthened.
Irène Cloutier is a planning advisor and head of climate resilience issues at the City of Montreal's Office of Ecological Transition and Resilience (BTER). Since 2016, she has been involved in developing the 2020-2030 Climate Plan (2020) and the Montreal Strategy for a Resilient City (2018). She coordinates the monitoring and implementation of actions related to community climate resilience and supports her colleagues at the City in adapting municipal infrastructure to climate change. She participates in several committees and projects aimed at promoting greater equity in the face of climate hazards and the development of social capital as a vector of resilience in Montréal neighborhoods.
