The City of Montreal launched a five year action plan on Monday to make the city more resilient in the face of all types of disasters and risks.
Whether it’s major flooding or a terrorist threat, Montreal has been put to the test before.
And the mayor says we will need better tools to weather the storms to come.
The strategy was developed in collaboration with “100 Resilient Cities,” an organization pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation.
It was initiated by former Mayor Denis Coderre, and officially launched Monday by Valerie Plante.
“This strategy will be the foundation of our future actions,” Plante told reporters at a press conference. “We want to develop our capacity to anticipate, react, and adapt.”
Like most big cities, Montreal is affected by a variety of stresses and shocks.
The tanker truck explosion on Highway 40 in 2016, and even the Lac Megantic train disaster are reminders of industrial and technological risk.
Terrorist attacks in nearby Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, at a Quebec City mosque, and those around the world are a new reality, Plante said.
Issues like poverty and social inequality – ever present – now arise in new ways.
And the weather never quits – last year’s floods forced the reconsideration of preventative, or emergency response resources.
Montreal’s new partners, 100 Resilient Cities, has identified long-term challenges as well – like aging infrastructure, for example.
“In Montreal, we live in a safe city and we want it to stay that way,” Plante added.
