Turning a Climate Plan into Community Driven Action
ResiLienT Loyalist Township Climate Action Plan – Loyalist Township
Role: Dan Hendry
Year: 2020
Climate action is as much about people as it is about policy. Since May 2020, I have served as the Climate Action Coordinator for Loyalist Township, working as a part‑time contractor to help bridge the gap between municipal climate goals and meaningful community action. My primary focus has been supporting the development and ongoing implementation of ResiLienT Loyalist Township, the community’s Climate Action Plan designed to build long‑term resilience across both the rural and urban parts of the township.
From the outset, my role has centred on bringing the plan to life. I have been responsible for building and executing the community engagement strategies that support the rollout of the Climate Action Plan, ensuring it did not sit on a shelf but instead remained active, relevant, and understandable for residents. This required careful consideration of how climate messaging lands in very different contexts—from farms and rural roads to growing residential neighbourhoods and tailoring communication accordingly.
Photos Supplied by: Loyalist Sustainability Plan
I developed communications strategies designed to reach a wide range of audiences, recognizing that residents experience climate impacts differently depending on where and how they live. The work has been carried out fully remotely, requiring strong coordination and trust‑building with Township staff and community members. Despite the limitations of physical distance, I have worked to maintain high levels of engagement and collaboration, ensuring the plan continues to reflect local priorities and evolve as new insights emerge.
Community engagement sits at the core of the ResiLienT Climate Action Plan. I lead outreach efforts to help residents understand how climate action connects to issues they care about such as energy use, emergency preparedness, land stewardship, and long‑term affordability while also creating accessible pathways for residents to contribute directly to the Township’s resilience goals. My coordination role emphasizes a whole‑of‑community approach, ensuring that climate action is shared, inclusive, and grounded in local values.
Photos Supplied by: Loyalist Sustainability Plan
Working on ResiLienT Loyalist Township has reinforced for me that smaller municipalities can lead by example. Effective climate action does not depend on scale; it depends on clarity, trust, and consistent communication. By meeting residents where they are and applying community‑based social marketing principles, this role has been about more than meeting targets it has been about building the capacity for lasting behavioural change and a more resilient future for Loyalist Township.
Related Links & Media: https://www.loyalist.ca/media/abgib3dm/resilient-loyalist-township-climate-action-plan-final.pdf