SOPHIE DEMERS
LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE
CAMPBELL’S BAY – On June 3, Mathieu Lacombe, Minister responsible for the Outaouais region, announced $70,000 in financial support for Campbell’s Bay to mitigate the effects of the “heat island” and heavy rain in their downtown area, improve residents’ quality of life, and revitalize the downtown core.
Heat islands are urbanized areas that have higher temperatures than other areas due to roads and buildings that absorb heat. Tree canopy and greenery can help reduce the temperature.
“The funding is for the planning phase where we can gather information, do analyses where needed, and determine what solutions we want to put in place,” said Sarah Bertrand, municipal director general. The municipality will work with Conseil régional de l’environnement et du développement durable de l’Outaouais (CREDDO) to determine solutions and develop plans.
The announcement is part of component 1 of the OASIS program, which supports municipalities in the planning of greening initiatives. The second component of the program involves facilitating the implementation of the greening projects while the third involves supporting the project’s maintenance.
According to Bertrand, it’s possible to receive additional funds for the next components in the future, however, they’re still in the very early stages of the process.