London, Ont. ranks highly on environmental scorecard: Report
When it comes to environmentally friendly living conditions among Canada’s largest cities, the Forest City is paving the way, according to a new report.
A new report published in the journal Environmental International examined 30 cities across Canada with a population of more than 100,000 people. It analyzed environmental factors such as air quality, noise pollution, water quality, risk of natural disasters and access to green space.
From these factors, it then calculated an overall score.
“London has the highest overall scores out of any of the cities,” said Daniel Rainham, the senior author of the study.
The study compared each of the 30 cities inclusively, and weighed each of the environmental factors to calculate the final rating. The goal is to provide communities with an overall view of where they’re succeeding and where they need improvement.
“The idea is to look within the city and to look at your city overall and say, ‘Do we have a lot of inequity in terms of access to health environmental conditions?’ And, ‘Where are the places that we can improve?’” said Rainham.
A map of the City of London that ranks its environmentally friendly living conditions based on a multitude of factors. On a ranking of 30 cities across Canada, London, Ont. ranked first when it came to environmental equity. (Source: Environment International)
London ranked the highest with a median score of 70, while nearby Kitchener and Guelph also scored well.
On the flip side however, several of Canada’s largest cities fared poorly. For example, Alberta’s urban centers of Edmonton and Calgary ranked at the bottom.
Rainham said London’s balance helps it score well.
“Across the board, all the neighbourhoods within the city will have fairly high scores. So it’s not a large range across all of the neighbourhoods, and that bodes well in terms of good environmental conditions,” he explained.
Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis said having this data can help better inform future environmental decisions going forward.
“When I looked at the map in the study, you can almost see where some of our major parks overlap in some of the areas with the best results,” he said.
He added, “We recognize the value – not so much in comparing ourselves to other municipalities because I think that we don’t want to get into a competition. But we want to look at how we as a community, how we as a regional leader, and how we as an urban centre can contribute to keeping Ontario’s environment clean and healthy.”
As Canada’s population becomes increasingly urbanized, Rainham said data such as the report can help those communities think critically about city design and planning, and better identifying neighbourhoods that need improvement.
— With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.