Greening the Region

Climate change in Saint John, New Brunswick is recognized as an emergent risk to residents, infrastructure, and habitats. In 2019 the City of Saint John (the “City”) declared a climate emergency and has committed to actions to reduce emissions as well as adapt to an already changing climate. In 2020, the City adopted the Climate Change Adaptation Plan and this project addresses Objective 4-25, to provide “education on green infrastructure and ID design to manage the impacts of climate change through pilot projects and workshops” (ACAP Saint John, 2020). 

In the 2022 field season, ACAP Saint John worked with the community to incorporate unique GI solutions into the urban environment through the project “Growing with the Flow”. Throughout these events, ACAP Saint John explained the connection of this work to climate change impacts and the benefits that GI has for increasing resiliency in the City of Saint John. The project engaged over 400 individuals and installed two native gardens, planting over 300 native plants and over 1,400 trees. ACAP Saint John has had the opportunity to pilot stormwater methods and demonstrate that GI is an effective method for climate change adaptation. Through this work, ACAP Saint John has generated discussions with community members, City councilors and institutions, and will continue to move this work forward in Saint John. ACAP Saint John continues to use GI with a focus on managing stormwater and reducing inland flooding while providing education to schools and the community as a whole.