How Will This Affect You?

Effects of Climate Change across Canada

Canada is blessed with a wide variety of ecosystems within its borders. Some sectors of the Canadian economy are based on its richness in natural resources. Changes in regional climate patterns may have positive and negative effects on these important ecosystems and resources. In every region and institute, Environment Canada scientists are studying the effects of climate change, while looking for ways to minimize or adapt to what the future could hold. These are some of the potential regional effects of climate change:

The number of heat-related deaths could rise because of higher summer temperatures. Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa, known for their hot, humid air masses in summertime, would be most affected. Those with heart disease, respiratory conditions, the elderly, the very young, the poor and the homeless would suffer most.

Changes in temperature and precipitation may help the survival of insect (vector) borne diseases, causing increases or invasions into Canada of diseases such as Lyme disease and malaria.

In the western mountain regions of British Columbia and Alberta, there could be less late season runoff because of an accelerated retreat of glaciers. This will threaten water supplies in small communities and have an effect on the cattle industry.

In the north, loss of permafrost may cause massive terrain slumping, drainage of small lakes and increased sediment loads in rivers, threatening northern wetlands and such deltas as the Mackenzie and Peace-Athabasca.

In the Great Lakes, water levels could change. This may threaten valuable shoreline and wetland habitats, disrupt navigation, create new infrastructure requirements, have an impact on fisheries and affect shoreline property values. Bottom dwelling organisms contributing to healthy lakes could be threatened because it would take longer for lakes to be stratified, resulting in longer late season periods of low oxygen conditions.

Canada's wetlands are important for fish and wildlife habitats, water storage and as staging areas during migration of waterfowl. The ecology of these wetlands is very susceptible to water level changes and could be seriously threatened by alterations in regional water patterns. A great number of such wetlands have already been rehabilitated by Great Lakes 2000 and the North American Waterfowl Management Plan.

In the Atlantic Provinces, and other regions susceptible to spring flooding, changes in late winter-early spring precipitation patterns could result in increased frequency of ice jams and flooding. Damages caused by these events have already cost Canadians an estimated $60 million annually.

In the Prairies, increased temperatures may provide opportunities for growing higher valued crops, but this may not be possible where changes to regional precipitation patterns lead to insufficient rainfall and more frequent droughts.
Nationally, climate change could alter the carbon cycle, so that there is less dissolved organic carbon in surface waters. This would reduce a sort of “water sunscreen”, making those waters more susceptible to impacts from ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

Canada country studies

• Canada Country Studies: A Window on Climate Change in Canada