View the full year 1 report

Achievements

• An accessible and attractive Coolkit package customized to Oak Bay, available as a DIY resource free to all residents on the Oak Bay website, with a reasonably high media profile across the community
• District staff from across departments trained in the Coolkit process and involved in community workshops as co-facilitators and/or advisors to champions
• Program promotion through tree-planting events attended by Council members, staff, & Coolkit champions; support from Oak Bay Neighbourhood Association; media coverage from CBC & local media; and presentation/workshop at ICLEI’s national Livable Cities Forum in Victoria in 2022
• Well-attended week-end workshops and climate walks, with much collaboration within and between neighbourhood groups, resulting in a network of trained Oak Bay Coolkit champions and multiple local climate action plans.

Who participated?

A total of 46 participants registered for the Oak Bay Coolkit program, representing most Oak Bay neighbourhoods, with 23-25 people attending each of the 3 Workshops (plus District staff, Council members, and other observers). A range of participants took the program, including:

• Several skilled community leaders/organizers (with different levels of experience)
• Many who were predisposed towards greener lifestyles
• Some with previous volunteer experience
• Neighbours and family members of other participants
• Members of community organizations

What did participants learn?

• Improved understanding of the “Big Moves” on climate actions by residents that align with the Oak Bay Climate Action Working Group (CCAWG) recommendations to Council
• Improved awareness of their individual carbon footprints
• Recognition of the value of collective climate action at the local scale
• Capacity-building skills gained in understanding local climate impacts and how to engage others: several groups designed and implemented innovative events and workshops, using visual learning tools like mapping and visualizing solutions to stimulate & record residents’ ideas.
• Bonding with neighbours and community through fun, social, hands-on activities
• Increased agency and motivation to make changes and collaborate with the Oak Bay District on climate issues/solutions addressing both private and public land.
• Champions acquired improved insights on other residents’ perceptions (pros and cons) of climate action.

What we heard from participants

• Enthusiasm for the Coolkit Champion program and collectively developing local climate action plans
• Strong support and advice from existing community organizations., eg, the Community Association of Oak Bay