Environmental Care Issues and Solutions:

• Unequal tree canopy and access to shade — Issue: Kitchener’s tree canopy is about 26% citywide, and the City identifies Wards 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10 as areas with lower tree canopy that should receive additional planting — Solution: Prioritize Ward 6 for street trees, park trees and tree maintenance, with a measurable goal for increasing canopy and shade in neighbourhoods with the greatest need

• Flooding and inadequate stormwater protection — Issue: The City states that 75% of Kitchener’s urban area lacks adequate stormwater management to protect against flooding, with recent flooding affecting areas including Walter Bean Trail and Kiwanis Park — Solution: Accelerate stormwater projects in flood vulnerable areas and expand rain gardens, wetlands, permeable surfaces and other infrastructure that slows and absorbs runoff

• Climate change and extreme heat — Issue: Kitchener identifies increasing extreme weather as a climate adaptation challenge and is already considering greater access to shade in parks and climate resilient planting — Solution: Establish a Ward 6 heat resilience program focused on shade trees, shaded seating, drinking water, cooling spaces and heat resilient parks

• Loss of mature trees — Issue: Kitchener’s canopy declined from 27.2% in 2019 to approximately 26% in 2025, with the City identifying storms, development pressures and other factors as possible contributors — Solution: Protect mature public trees during construction, replace removed trees promptly and require development projects to demonstrate how existing canopy and replacement canopy will be maintained

• Unequal access to high quality parks and green space — Issue: Kitchener had approximately 8.9 square metres of park area per person in 2025 compared with a target of 10 square metres, while the City has identified equitable access to parks as a planning issue — Solution: Prioritize Ward 6 investments where residents have less access to quality green space, shade, recreation facilities and accessible trails

• Stormwater pollution entering local waterways — Issue: Heavy rainfall carries pollutants from urban surfaces into stormwater systems and local creeks, while the City is undertaking projects specifically intended to improve water quality and reduce erosion and flooding — Solution: Expand naturalized drainage areas, creek restoration, stormwater treatment and green infrastructure throughout Ward 6

• Environmental impacts of new development — Issue: Development can affect tree canopy, wetlands, habitat and natural drainage patterns, and City environmental assessments identify potential impacts including habitat loss and changes to stream flow — Solution: Make protection of existing trees, wetlands, natural drainage and habitat a stronger consideration in Ward 6 development decisions and require meaningful environmental mitigation where impacts cannot be avoided

• Climate resilient parks and trails — Issue: The City identifies some trails as vulnerable to flooding and is examining relocation, climate appropriate planting, drought tolerant landscapes and improved shade — Solution: Design Ward 6 parks and trails for future climate conditions by improving drainage, shade, tree cover, drought resilience and year round accessibility

• Protection of natural areas from encroachment and invasive impacts — Issue: The City warns that activities such as removing vegetation, dumping yard waste and unauthorized landscaping on City land can damage parks and natural areas and introduce invasive species or pollutants — Solution: Increase public education, monitoring and enforcement while providing residents with clear options for environmentally responsible yard waste, gardening and naturalization

• Environmental decisions should be measured by equity — Issue: Kitchener already uses tree equity scores that combine tree canopy information with census data to identify neighbourhoods receiving fewer tree benefits — Solution: Apply a similar equity lens to Ward 6 decisions by publicly tracking where environmental investments, tree planting, stormwater improvements, park improvements and climate adaptation funding are going and prioritizing areas with the greatest environmental need