Welcome to the Corporate Flood and Heat Risk Management Resource Hub!
The materials drawn for each module and their subsequent chapters are drawn from academic and regulatory sources to provide context for flooding and extreme heat within the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority’s jurisdiction.
Flood Risk Mitigation and Adaptation Modules
Module 1: Introduction and Background of Flooding in the ICI Sector
What is the cost of flooding for the Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional (ICI) and Multi-Unit Residential Building (MURB) sector? How can green infrastructure and low impact development techniques mitigate risk for businesses and the broader community?
Module 1 provides the necessary background for the upcoming modules and is divided into individual chapters for ease of use.
Chapter 1: Background of Flooding in Southern Ontario
Chapter 2: What Needs to Be Done?
Chapter 3: Flooding Managed by Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and other Conservation Authorities
Chapter 4: Losses and Damages Associated with Flooding
Chapter 5: What Information is Needed for ICI Sectors to be Prepared?
Module 1 Resources
- General FAQs Generally Received by TRCA Staff
- Canada’s Flood Insurance Program
- Canadian Standards Association: Climate Adaptation and Resilience in Commercial Real Estate
- TRCA’s Real Time Flood Monitoring & Warning Messages
Module 2: Types of Flood Risk & TRCA Tools to Protect Your Business
Why do we need to prepare flood mitigation measures? Join us as we discuss the different types of flood risks, how these risks affect businesses, and how to use publicly available floodplain and riverine flood risk tools to manage them. Check if your business is in the floodplain and stay ahead with flood alerts.
Chapter 1: Types of Flood Risk
Chapter 2: TRCA’s Mandate and Definition of Flooding
Chapter 3: Flooding Related Tools & FAQs Provided by TRCA
Chapter 4: TRCA Messaging & Flood Vulnerable Clusters (Spring Creek, Downtown Bolton, and Dixie-Dundas)
Module 2 Resources
- Understanding Flood Risk
- TRCA Flood Plain Map Viewer Tool
- Property Enquiries – Is my property affected by TRCA’s Regulations?
- Regulated Area Search Tool
- TRCA Real Time Gauging System
- Sign up for Flood Messages
Module 3: Current Initiatives and Actions to Address Flood Risks
There is a wide range of available resources to assist sustainability professionals and property managers/owners in preparing flood preparedness and management plans. Check out what is currently being done for the Industrial Commercial and Institutional (ICI) sector to address these risks in addition to available programs and tools.
Chapter 1: Traditional Flood Infrastructure
Chapter 2: Flood Protection Resources
Chapter 3: Flood Management Guidelines/ Plans/ Planning with Climate Lens
Chapter 4: External Group Initiatives
Module 3 Resources
- Climate Risk Institute: Risk and Return on Investment Tool
- Credit Valley Conservation: Risk and Return on Investment Tool (Video)
- Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation: Flood Protection Resources
- Open for Business: A Disaster Protection and Recovery Planning Toolkit for the Small to Mid-Sized Business
Module 4: Use of Low Impact Developments & Green Infrastructure to help Manage on-site Stormwater Management Risks
Learn about the effectiveness and adaptability of Green Infrastructure (GI) and Low Impact Development (LID) techniques. We will showcase lifecycle costs of LID, where they are best utilized, and success stories from ICI properties who have adopted these best management practices across the GTA and Southern Ontario!
Chapter 1: What is Green Infrastructure?
1.1 Why do we Need Low Impact Development?
1.2 Low Impact Development Types & Functionality
Chapter 2: Construction & Inspection & Maintenance of Low Impact Development Practices
Chapter 3: Life Cycle Costs
Chapter 4: Industrial, Commercial & Institutional Case Studies
4.1 IMAX
4.2 Honda
4.3 Glendale Public School
4.4 The Bentway
4.5 Thornhill Sustainable Neighbourhood
4.6 Calstone Inc.
Module 4 Resources
- Low Impact Development Life Cycle Costing Tool
- 2-hour Free Webinar: How does the Costing Tool Work
- Low Impact Development Life Cycle Costing Tool User Guide
- The Business Case for Green Stormwater Infrastructure on Commercial Properties
Heat Risk Mitigation and Adaptation Module
What is urban heat, why is it an issue, and how can businesses be part of the solution? This module discusses the challenges of urban heat and details why green infrastructure is a great option for the environment, local communities, and long-term financial savings.
Chapter 1: Setting the Stage- Urban Heat
Chapter 2: Green Infrastructure for Heat Mitigation and Adaptation
Chapter 3: Why and How to Mitigate Urban Heat
Heat Risk Module Resources
- Evergreen’s AI for the Resilient City
- US EPA Heat Island Compendium
- Peel Region Urban Forest Best Practice Guide 4 – Potential Street and Park Tree Species for Peel in a Climate Change Context – Contact Us
- STEP Tree List
- Tree Canada Hard Surface Planting guidance
This Resource Hub includes technical and educational support by TRCA’s Sustainable Technologies Evaluation Program (STEP) and TRCA’s Ecosystem and Climate Science team.
We would like to thank Credit Valley Conservation Authority’s Greening Corporate Grounds Program for their contribution to the development of this resource hub.
Give us your Feedback
Looking to Apply the Ideas Learned from these Modules?
Contact Chaya Chengappa at chaya.chengappa@trca.ca for more information.