Standing Together Against Climate Change

It’s no secret that climate change has been drastically affecting the way we live, work and play in the outdoors. Due to recent extreme weather events, major cities and organizations across Canada have been faced with the challenge of becoming more adaptable and resilient to the effects of climate change. This can be most evidently seen from the recent flooding in Toronto which resulted in the Don Valley Brick Works, the location of our head office, being submerged by four and a half foot waves; requiring a staggering cost (some estimates place the cost at $10M, but are unsure of the true cost yet) to have it restored. While we have pivoted to support our upcoming programs, there still remains extensive clean-up, the purchasing of new gear and equipment, and insurance claims.

In addition, out in British Columbia, we had to pivot our Fire Stewardship Journey due to extreme heat; relocating the course hundreds of kilometers from the interior to the coast where it was safer for operations. This was not only a major disruption for the program itself, but it also cost the organization a considerable amount of money in order to adjust and adapt accordingly, as relocating a course on short notice requires new plans, transportation, campsite bookings and much more.

Outward Bound Canada has seen climate change as a growing concern and a major risk in its daily operations for a number of years now, and this has figured into almost every decision that we make; from the planning stage of the year’s programs to our instructors who are out in the field. 

Ontario Academy Trainer, Bea Beaudoin-Masse, recalls, “I have been leading trips in the backcountry for a little over 15 years. In recent years, I have to remind myself that with climate change, I can’t sit idle on that experience. I have to constantly question my hazard assessment and be open to outside information sources. For example, when I grew up, ticks were never mentioned and now the rise of lyme disease can’t be ignored. As an instructor in the field, I have to trust that my organization is also proactive in updating their risk management plan.”

Ontario Wilderness Program Manager, Scott Dressel, comments, “Climate change has irrevocably shifted the landscape of outdoor education. New considerations surrounding logistics and risk management need to be made each and every season of the year.

Spring now brings with it levels of flooding that have never before been seen in Ontario that often force us to relocate our operations. In the summer, we are needing to be much more proactive about heat exhaustion/stroke due to the record high temperatures we now see. During the summer, we also need to be more vigilant of air quality due to the massively increased number of forest fires. The fall season can bring unseasonably hot or cold temperatures depending on the year and along with this comes unpredictable precipitation levels. We’ve seen snow in September and droughts in October. Lastly, winter has proven so unpredictable from a snowfall and temperature perspective that it’s impossible to guarantee whether we’ll be hiking on a bare trail or snowshoeing on frozen lakes.

The things we know about the four seasons of the year are not so accurate anymore. Climate change requires organizations to constantly and proactively adapt programming, logistics and risk management practices to keep up with the current state of the world.”

Rocky Mountain Program Manager, Lisa Arsenault, says, “Climate change has impacted us in the Rockies in many ways. We now have to consider additional factors during the prep-stage of our courses. For example, asking ourselves where there are active fires and are they near our desired course location; what is the air quality index and forecast like due to those fires; as well as trying to gather data on water sources. 

Unfortunately, we can’t rely on typical known-water sources like creek beds as we used to, since these are related to snow melt from the winter, limiting access. Less and less water is present over time, and we must always be in areas with water. Where we once could rely on maps to indicate water sheds, we now have to do research, gather beta and ultimately explore to find water. 

While courses are in the field, we are actively taking air quality measurements so we can respond and make decisions, should the air quality decrease while they are on course. If levels deteriorate, then folks contact our Wilderness On Call and we make a plan to modify activity or evacuate a course. Ultimately, climate change has changed our risk management practices and it starts before a course goes into the field.”

As of now, our actions as an organization have been mostly reactive: dealing with sections of trails that have been washed away by floods, carrying smoke level detectors on trips, and reducing the length of hikes due to the heat. However, we know that going forward we will need to be more proactive in our approach in order to maintain operations. A sentiment that we are certain peers within our industry must also be grappling with.

All of this was the impetus behind bringing together a collection of organizations across the nation for a full day to explore the impacts and concerns that other outdoor organizations have certainly felt related to climate change through our Climate Social Innovation Labs. 

Facilitated by Bloom Consulting and COLAB, Outward Bound Canada’s Training Academy for Outdoor Professionals hosted three Climate Social Innovation Labs in May, bringing together 60+ organizations across Vancouver, Halifax and Toronto. The goal of these events was to be a catalyst for connection, capacity and capability, with the aim of figuring out how the outdoor sector can build resilience and mitigate the impacts of climate change on its programming and operations. This event was not aimed at figuring out how to solve climate change; rather, it was an opportunity to figure out how to continue operating outdoor programs in light of the real impacts that climate change brings. 

We felt that, in order to adequately mitigate the risks related to climate change for the outdoor sector, there needed to be a coordinated approach, built in research, capacity building and skills development. This event would serve as a starting point for those conversations.

Below are a series of reflections from various team members who attended the events:

Dr. Rob Wallis, PhD; Principal, Education and Curriculum Manager – Toronto:
“It was sobering to witness the level of anxiety in the sector. I asked myself, will we be able to program in our usual areas? Will we have to make back-up plans that include indoor alternatives? Will children be allowed outside for extended periods at all in the coming years? The event hosted serious conversations about serious concerns. 

One thing was very apparent: the sector needs to, and will come together to find solutions to adapt to our unpredictable future.

Additionally, the fact that we hosted these discussions about climate resilience at the Don Valley Brick Works, which came under four and a half feet of water a couple months later during the historic Toronto flooding in July is both ironic and unfortunate.”

Bryant Race; British Columbia Logistic and Course Director – Vancouver:

“Heat domes, atmospheric rivers, AQI index—these are all new terms to us here in British Columbia that we are coming to know all too well. 

For many of us in the outdoor industry, we’ve been encountering these new challenges in isolation, trying our best to adapt to a rapidly changing climate. Erratic weather patterns have already started to affect our own programming, with the most recent example being the wholesale relocation of a course from interior BC to the coast. This means we must create entirely new systems and networks for how we plan and manage risk when we go into the backcountry. The Climate Lab gave BC-based organizations a chance to share how these new issues have impacted us and what we were doing to help mitigate this risk.

I was encouraged to hear that folks were thinking outside-of-the-box and starting to view these issues as new challenges for us to overcome. The theme of adaptation was ever-present, recognizing that the world is indeed changing, and we must do our best to change with it.”

Thunder Shanti; Atlantic Program Manager – Halifax:

“20 leaders from 14 outdoor organizations shared their concerns about extreme weather, deteriorating environmental quality, and increased risks affecting their operations in Atlantic Canada. They also discussed innovative approaches such as embracing local actions, enhancing communication, and fostering hope to remain adaptable and resilient.

The lab also sparked community commitments, including creating a shared resource list, ongoing learning, developing intergenerational programs, and using digital tools to stay connected. Participants emphasized the importance of hosting ongoing conversations in outdoor spaces and strengthening ties with Indigenous communities.

Personally, the lab’s themes resonated deeply with me as I reflected on our experiences with hurricanes during our programming last fall. We had to adapt our programs, including the difficult decision to evacuate students and shelter in place in a barn. These experiences underscored the importance of proactive planning and community support. The commitments we made at the lab—to create shared resources, keep learning from each other, and strengthen connections with Indigenous communities—felt particularly urgent and essential. Our collective dedication to sustainability and resilience, despite the challenges, was a powerful testament to the strength and adaptability of our community.”

Following the event, Outward Bound Canada’s Training Academy established an informal network comprised of organizations from the event who expressed a desire to keep the conversation going. A digital summary of the event was also compiled which can be used as a resource for the outdoor sector as a whole to learn and grow from the collective knowledge expressed at these events.

To download the digital summary, CLICK HERE.

The conversation doesn’t end here. Outward Bound Canada is deeply committed to mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change. The Climate Social Innovation Labs were just an inaugural part in this process and we know that, through our collective efforts, we can all work toward building a more adaptable and resilient outdoor sector where everyone can live, work and play in harmony.