A Niagara city bows to climate deniers & conspiracy theories, withdraws from national partnership to reduce emissions

A packed Thorold Council Chambers broke into applause on June 18th following a decisive 7-1 vote. 

It had nothing to do with any controversial development application or the approval of a badly needed neighbourhood park — the type of council matters that often galvanize the general public, and their elected representatives.

The vote was to withdraw the City from a free federal program, the Partners for Climate Protection (PCP), that guides municipalities on how to reduce their climate-warming emissions.  

The June 18th vote ended an 18-month odyssey that saw Thorold City Council debate or discuss the program on at least five separate occasions, culminating in the most recent meeting that saw members of the public claim membership in the program would lead to loss of individual property rights, data harvesting, and the possibility that council members could be charged with treason. 

How did this come about?

January 17, 2023

Thorold Planning staff, in a report to Council, recommend approval of staff’s participation in the PCP program, administered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives). 

The latter organization was formed in 1990 at the inaugural World Congress of Local Governments for a Sustainable Future at the United Nations and had its first headquarters located in Toronto. Active in more than 125 countries, ICLEI, as per its website, provides services to “local, provincial, and federal governments in support of developing sustainable, low-carbon, climate-ready communities.” 

The staff report states: “climate change is a pressing issue devastating the environment as well as humanity.” It explained that the PCP program consists of five milestones recommended to be completed within ten years of enrollment in the program, including: the creation of a baseline emissions inventory; setting emission reductions and targets; developing a local climate action plan; implementing the plan; and monitoring and reporting the results.

The report argues that enrollment in the program would benefit the municipality by “saving money, improving air quality and protecting the health of its residents.” The report also notes that Niagara Region had declared a climate emergency in 2021; other Niagara municipalities are in the program (the Region, St. Catharines, Welland, Grimsby and West Lincoln); Thorold is already a participant in the Niagara Climate Change Action Network and that a “number of members of Council identified climate change as being a topic of importance” during the recent election campaign.    

Because enrollment in the program requires a Council resolution, the matter is listed on the consent section of the January 17th agenda. At the meeting, Councillor Carmen DeRose, asking that the report be pulled for discussion, indicates that he “loves the idea” of the program, but questions whether it would truly be free as the municipality works its way through the five milestones. 

Meghan Birbeck, Senior Planner for the City, advises Council is required by the provincial government to create an Energy Consumption and Demand Plan (CDMP) every five years. She indicates that access to “substantial resources” through the PCP program will allow Thorold to fulfill this requirement and complete PCP milestones “in house”, without the need for external consultants. She walks through the various milestones, informs Council of her experience in completing a Climate Action Plan while at the Township of West Lincoln and concludes that the only cost would be staff time.

Councillor DeRose, while complimentary of the detailed staff response, rebuts. “I just wanted to know the numbers” he says, then claims, despite the request by staff to avail themselves of the tools offered by the PCP, it would “take staff away” from other pressing matters and, therefore, he will not support the request.

Councillor Jim Handley indicated he is interested in an organizational review and that it would be appropriate to defer consideration of the program until budget time. As a deferral motion is not debatable at Thorold Council, no further discussion occurs. The matter is to be dealt with during budget deliberations.

February 7, 2023

While Councillor Handley’s motion was to consider the PCP membership in the context of the Council’s budget deliberations, the matter returns to Council less than a month later. 

Staff’s second report notes that under the Planning Act, municipalities “shall have regard to matters of a provincial interest, including mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and adaptation to a changing climate, among other interests.” In addition, a survey of area municipalities that have recently completed their CDMPs indicates they expended an average of $50,000 on consultant fees.

Prior to Council considering the matter, local resident Ron Devereaux expresses his belief that the program will be “an endless commitment”, with negligible benefit and concludes that there is “no climate emergency” — contrary to the science accepted by experts and governments across the globe.

Councillor Handley thanks Mr. Devereaux for his comments and laments that espousing such views brands one as a conspiracy theorist. He proceeds to make assertions that behind ICLEI, and the PCP program, is the World Economic Forum, whose leader promotes eating crickets and tells individuals they should own “nothing”. The councillor also implies that there is something untoward regarding non-government organizations providing grants to local governments.

Councillor DeRose echoes Councillor Handley’s sentiments, calling the World Economic Forum and the United Nations “two of the most corrupt organizations in the world.” He reiterates his previously stated concerns that the free program will end up costing the municipality in the long run, giving a hypothetical example that the program could lead to a recommendation that the municipality change its entire fleet to electrical vehicles, at an unknown but not insignificant cost.

Other councillors are generally supportive. Councillor Ken Sentance indicates he believes there is a climate problem and the program will provide a free tool that would lead to recommendations for Council’s consideration. Councillor Nella Dekker proves prescient when she asks if the municipality could opt out at any time. Councillor Tim O’Hare, a council representative on the City’s Environment, Climate Change and Biodiversity Advisory Committee (ECCBAC), points out that Council is not bound by any of the program’s recommendations but “if in any small way” the suggestions lead to cost savings and reduced greenhouse emissions “why wouldn’t we want that?”

Councillor Tim O’Hare was the lone supporter of the Partners for Climate Protection program.

(City of Thorold)

Councillor Handley, speaking a second time, argues that he is not “anti-environment”. The long-time councillor lists his efforts to get local businesses and municipal facilities to use LED lighting and his unsuccessful proposal to use a wood chip burning kiln to provide an alternate energy source for a municipal works building.

Jason Simpson, Director of Development Services, tries to temper the concerns by noting that staff merely want to take advantage of the free tool and there will be no financial penalties if the municipality does not complete the five milestones of the program.

Councillor Henry D’Angela, while unsuccessful in getting another deferral on consideration of the program, is able to get an amendment approved that adds a recommendation that staff be directed to conduct a one year review of the program.

April 11, 2023 

The ECCBAC recommends that the Council report template be amended to provide a section entitled “Environmental, Climate Change, Biodiversity, and Sustainability” to ensure all issues associated with such topics are considered by Council in their deliberations.  

Councillor Handley eyes the request with suspicion. He argues that Thorold Council reports are already sensitive to environmental issues and is concerned that it will “lead in to something else down the road”, like a move by the municipality to eliminate natural gas furnaces in developments. Handley also warns, “what if other user groups want to add on to our reports?” Staff point out that ECCBAC is not a user group but an advisory committee to Council.

Councillor Anthony Longo, another council representative on ECCBAC, indicates that what is proposed by the committee is not out of line and akin to sections of reports that note budget implications and how the report meets Council’s strategic priorities. Longo indicates that he will be bringing the matter back at the following Council meeting.

May 2, 2023

Councillor Handley appears to have an about-face regarding the ECCBAC request. He mentions recent new facilities approved for the municipality (a Fire Hall and Public Works building), how such long-term buildings may need to be converted away from natural gas during their lifetime and that the latter detail should have been noted in related Council reports. 

ECCBAC’s request to add a section on environmental impacts to the Thorold Council reports is approved.

May 30, 2023

Thorold Council receives a report from its Integrity Commissioner regarding a complaint against Councillor Handley for social media posts disseminating misinformation related to COVID and his participation in the 2022 trucker convoy protest in Ottawa.

The report finds the Councillor in breach of the Code of Conduct, the third occasion that he has run afoul with the Code, and recommends a 90-day pay suspension. At a subsequent meeting, the majority of Council votes to not impose the recommended sanction.

September 19, 2023

At a special meeting, Thorold City Council unanimously rejects the request of a provincially-required letter of endorsement for Northland Power’s plan to build a new 198-megawatt gas plant in the community, effectively vetoing the project. Northland Power already operates a gas plant in the municipality but councillors, hearing from a variety of delegations for and against the project, view it as a “step backwards”.

Councillor Handley candidly admits that he is “not a believer in all the climate change initiatives” and terms the elimination of fossil fuels as unrealistic but votes against the project based on the pollution concerns of local residents.

November 21, 2023

ECCBAC recommends that Council provide a letter of support to local business, EVSX. Although municipal approval is not required, the letter is to help expedite the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks’ review of the company’s application for the receiving, sorting, and recycling of alkaline batteries. 

Councillor Longo explains that what is being proposed is the recycling of alkaline batteries into alkaline for fertilizer. Councillor O’Hare describes the process of taking a “bad product and turning into something useful.”

Future expansion of the facility would see processing of lithium-ion batteries, which raises concerns from Councillor Hanley and Councillor D’Angela, who were on Council in 2007, when a lithium battery explosion and major fire destroyed the Clean Harbour plant. As a result of the concerns, the letter of support is restricted to the current application related to the alkaline batteries.

February 27, 2024

Councillor Handley gives notice that he will be bringing forward a motion to absolve the City’s membership in the Partners for Climate Protection program.

March 1, 2024

ECCBAC receives a delegation from Maggie Braun, a Peterborough resident, who describes herself as an ecosystems management technician.  

Ms. Braun makes various claims in her presentation such as there is no climate emergency, the impact of greenhouse gasses on the environment are overstated, and municipal plans that emphasize United Nations’ directives on sustainable development, will restrict individual property rights and severances, limit individual mobility and drive future growth to selected settlement areas.

Ms. Braun infers that by being part of the PCP program the City’s councillors will be ceding their decision making ability to “foreign agendas”, which is contrary to Criminal Code provisions on terrorism and treason.

Peterborough resident Maggie Braun made several delegations to council espousing unsubstantiated conspiracy theories and stating there is no climate emergency.

(City of Thorold)

ECCBAC receives the presentation and forms a working group to review documentation cited by the presenter.  

March 19, 2024

Councillor Handley’s motion to reconsider the municipality’s membership in PCP is on the agenda, before a packed Council Chambers. Maggie Braun makes a similar presentation to the Council, where she goes further in stating that municipal official plans that promote sustainable development will decrease tax revenues for smaller municipalities, making them “ghost towns”, while larger municipalities will become “tent cities”. As for the PCP program, she paints the following scenario:

“[O]nce you adopt the program and the plans it puts out, you will find that corporate staff on the file will continually put before Council items which, if endorsed by Council, will redirect your public funds and assets to promote private sustainable development goals, such as EV stations.”

Councillor Jim Handley has repeatedly fought Thorold’s membership in the Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program, but says he is not a “climate denier”.

(City of Thorold)

While no one directly challenges Ms. Braun’s suppositions, Councillor O’Hare notes that the majority of NASA scientists believe in man-made impacts on climate change. Councillors Sentance and Longo voice their climate concerns but are met by snickers and hoots of derision from those assembled in the gallery.

Councillor D’Angela bemoans the fact that despite his motion from 2023 for a one-year review of the municipality’s involvement in the program, Thorold only got around to formally enrolling in the program in January 2024, as a result of staff turnover. (Ms. Birbeck, who authored the 2023 staff reports, left for the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority in May 2023.)

A discussion on the “costs” of staff time ensues and eventually Councillor Handey’s resolution is amended with Council landing on a motion that will “pause” the municipality’s membership in the PCP program, direct staff to consult with the Region with respect to any available resources that can be shared to meet legislative requirements pertaining to climate change, and that a request be made to representatives of the PCP program to make a presentation before Thorold City Council.

May 3, 2024

Based on the review of its working group, ECCBAC unanimously passes a motion in response to Ms. Braun’s presentation. The committee welcomes public input and thanks the presenter for her delegation, however, it finds that “the sources of information referenced in the presentation lack credibility and the claims made are false, flawed or at best misleading.”  

ECCBAC supports the City’s continued participation in the PCP program.

May 28, 2024

Thorold Council receives the requested presentation from Kiana Simmons, Project Officer of the Partners for Climate Protection (PCP), and Lindsay Telfer, Manager, Capacity Development for FCM’s Green Municipal Fund. 

Simmons extols the benefits of the PCP program. She notes that 523 municipalities across the country, accounting for more than 70 percent of the Canadian population, are signed up to the program. Simmons outlines the various free supports available such as tools to calculate the municipality’s greenhouse gas emissions, a document library, case studies and webinars for staff. Ms. Telfer outlines various funding opportunities available.

The delegates, however, are clearly not prepared for the onslaught from some of the councillors. Councillor DeRose challenges them on the amount of carbon dioxide created by natural sources versus the amount created by man. When it is explained that such information is beyond the scope of their presentation, a suggestion is made that Council refer to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (which includes more than 6,000 scientists around the world), the Councillor defends his line of questioning:

“[T]hey should be knowledgeable about this if they are going to be pushing this stuff on us.”

Councillor Hanley challenges some of the legal language in the agreement that he describes as absolving the partners of any liability or accepting any responsibility for the results of the program. Ms. Telfer explains that the results of the PCP are not prescribed and that each municipality develops its plan or program based on local needs. 

Councillor Hanley again argues that the program will be staff intensive. He points to West Lincoln’s Climate Action Plan, which involved the input of much of the Township’s senior staff, as if such involvement is a negative. Interestingly, on the evening’s agenda, Council approves its strategic priorities for 2024 to 2027. One of the three priorities is “Sustainability”, which includes maintaining and developing infrastructure that “supports environmental, economic and social well being.”

June 7, 2024

ECCBAC authorizes its Vice Chair Mark Freeman to provide a written delegation, on behalf of the committee, to the June 18 Council meeting, when Council is anticipated to make a decision on the municipality’s participation in the PCP Program. 

Vice Chair Freeman’s correspondence clarifies some information that was not clear from the PCP presentation to Council, outlining that municipal corporations have “direct” control over approximately 10 percent of emissions in a community. He also points to the example of Kitchener, where the municipality was able to reduce corporate emissions by 20 percent between 2016 and 2020 as a result of “LED upgrades to buildings and streetlights, improved pumping station efficiency, vehicle idle reduction technology and partial electrification of their fleet.” The municipality achieved annual cost savings of 

$75,000 per year from the LED upgrades alone.

Committee member Joe Atkinson shares an anecdote of how he was approached by a woman when he came out of a store, regarding the June 18th Council meeting. She presented him with a brochure, which he described as misleading and added: “I am not sure if they are trying to pack the Council chamber.”

June 18, 2024 

Sure enough, the Council Chamber is packed. 

Somewhat surprisingly, the related staff report, authored by Jason Simpson, recommends that Council withdraw from the PCP program. The report notes that, as per Council’s direction, staff reached out to the Region and learned that the Strategic Transformation Office of the upper-tier government is reviewing potential shared services with lower-tier municipalities, related to climate change. As a result, the report offers the following:

“[S]ince official enrolment in February of this year, staff have not had sufficient time to realize the full benefits of the Partners for Climate Protection Program however have come to realize that similar resources could also be available through other sources such as the Niagara Region and outside consulting services.”

Thorold’s Chief Administrative Officer, Manoj Dilwaria, at an earlier meeting, had made clear that any assistance from the Region would likely come at a cost to the municipality and staff’s original report recommending enrollment in the program was premised on cost savings and the benefit of not needing to go to external consultants.

Prior to considering the report, Council formally receives a petition signed by 241 residents calling for the municipality to withdraw from the program and also hears from a number of delegates. 

Ron Devereaux speaks again and Maggie Braun adds to her list of ills that will result from joining the PCP program, claiming that municipalities are “voluntarily participating in data harvesting programs on behalf of private industry”, that individual’s energy usage and waste habits are being meticulously recorded and that the ultimate use of such data is for the marketing of green products. Angela Braun, who served on Thorold Council from 2000 to 2004, questions why the municipality would need to be involved in a “radical climate change proposal”, that any environmental efforts should reflect “local values” and that the City councillors are experts on the local environment. She suggests a committee be formed but it is pointed out that the Council already has an advisory committee on environmental issues.     

Resident Ron Devereaux has repeatedly claimed before Thorold council that there is no climate emergency.

(City of Thorold)

Not surprisingly, Councillors Handley and DeRose echo many of the comments that they have articulated over the previous 18 months. Councillor Handley once again stresses he is not a “climate denier” and repeats the various environmental stewardship initiatives he promoted over the years. Councillor DeRose infers that enrollment in the program will be akin to a “fourth level of government taxation” on the environment and uses his strongest language to date concluding: “we’re trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist.” 

Councillors Sentance, Dekker and Longo reiterate their belief that climate change exists but rationalize their eventual vote in favour of withdrawing from the program, claiming their decision was informed by staff’s recommendation.  

Councillor Carmen DeRose said ahead of the June 18th vote that climate change is a “problem that doesn’t exist”.

(City of Thorold) 

Only Councillor O’Hare remains steadfast in his support of the PCP program. Council votes 7-1 to withdraw from the program.

(In a subsequent radio interview with CKTB, News Talk 610, ECCBAC Vice Chair Mark Freeman expresses his disappointment in the Council decision and alleges that there was “intimidation” to force staff to take the position of recommending withdrawal from the program.) 

July 5, 2024

ECCBAC has its first meeting subsequent to Council’s decision to withdraw from the PCP program. Mark Freeman informs the committee that Chair Joe Prytula has resigned, with the Council decision “likely a key factor”. Freeman is elected as the new Chair.

Committee member Helen Hermansen says Council’s decision “looks bad”.

The committee’s two Council representatives are asked to speak to the matter. Councillor Longo admits that it was a “contentious environment” at the meeting but believes by piggybacking with the Region, the municipality can accomplish the same goals. Councillor O’Hare laments that he was hoping that the municipality would be a leader in climate change but concludes that “we will be followers”.

Committee Member Leslie Daniels strikes a pragmatic tone by indicating there will be a “next time”.

“It isn’t a dead issue. We can come back in the future with a better argument.”

With that, the committee moves on, undaunted, to discuss their recently successful Earth Day event, the possibility of boulevard and tree by-laws, and various mapping initiatives.

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