Morgan Turland

My contribution to climate action has come through my past professional work, education, youth engagement, and community involvement.

I previously worked as an environmental advisor, helping people understand practical ways to make their homes more environmentally friendly and energy efficient. That experience gave me an appreciation for the importance of making climate solutions understandable, achievable, and practical for individuals and families.

As an educator and high school Interact sponsor, I have also encouraged students to think about environmental issues and how they can make a difference in their own community. This has included supporting student participation in the SD83 Environmental Expo, where students explore environmental challenges and engage others in conversations about sustainability.

Through Rotary and other community involvement, I have participated in environmental initiatives including highway and community clean-ups.

My university studies have also allowed me to explore climate change specifically in Salmon Arm and the Shuswap. I have researched wildfire, drought, extreme heat, water security, changing snowpack, Pacific salmon, and local ecosystems, as well as Salmon Arm’s climate adaptation and resiliency planning.

Together, these experiences have shaped my belief that effective climate action needs to be practical, evidence-based, and locally relevant. We need to reduce our environmental impact while also preparing our community for the climate changes we are already experiencing.

Through my university work, I recently completed an assessment of Salmon Arm’s Climate Resiliency Plan, looking closely at both our local climate risks and whether the actions identified will meaningfully prepare our community for the future. One of my biggest takeaways was that having a strong plan is only the first step, implementation, accountability, and measurable progress are what will determine its success.

Transportation and buildings make up the majority of Salmon Arm’s community emissions, so these need to be priorities if we are serious about reaching our 2030 target.

For transportation, I would prioritize implementing our Active Transportation Network Plan, improving transit (including expansions to our industrial park areas), expanding EV infrastructure, and planning more compact, connected neighbourhoods that give people realistic alternatives to driving.

For buildings, I support reducing barriers to energy-efficient retrofits, taking advantage of provincial and federal funding and incentives, improving municipal buildings, and moving toward lower-emission new construction while considering affordability.

I also support the proposed dedicated climate resilience staff position. We have adopted an ambitious plan with 44 actions across multiple areas, and successful implementation requires someone with the capacity and expertise to coordinate that work, pursue funding opportunities, track progress, and ensure climate considerations are incorporated across City departments.

I also believe climate considerations need to become part of regular City decision-making rather than treated as a separate initiative. That means considering climate resilience when making decisions about budgets, infrastructure, development and long-term capital planning.

Supporting residents through an emergency starts long before the emergency happens. I would prioritize preparedness, clear communication, and ensuring Salmon Arm understands where our most vulnerable residents are and what supports may be needed before a wildfire, flood, extreme heat event, or other emergency occurs.

During an emergency, residents need timely, accessible information and coordinated services. We need to work closely with the CSRD, emergency services, Indigenous communities, community organizations, and provincial and federal partners so people know where to go and how to access help.

Recovery also cannot end when the immediate emergency is over. People may be dealing with displacement, property damage, financial hardship, mental health impacts, or lost income for months or even years. I would advocate strongly to senior levels of government for adequate recovery funding and make sure residents and businesses have help navigating the programs and resources available to them.

My research into Salmon Arm’s Climate Resiliency Plan reinforced how important it is to plan for the people most vulnerable to climate events, including seniors, people with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness, and those without adequate cooling or transportation.

Municipal government cannot provide every service itself, but it can be prepared, coordinate resources, advocate for its residents, and make sure people are not left trying to navigate recovery alone.