At Dr. Lillian McGregor Park on June 8, Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie (Scarborough-Rouge Park) officially launched the City of Toronto’s brand-new Indigenous Climate Action Grants program.
Awards of up to $20,000 are accessible to help neighborhood Native people group in endeavor activities and drives that assistance to address the environment crisis and safeguard the climate. Native people group individuals, Native drove grassroots gatherings with local area projects and non-benefit drives/associations are urged to apply. Non-Indigenous non-profits are required to have an Indigenous project lead, an Indigenous council to guide the project, and the project itself must serve the Indigenous community.
Projects and initiatives that meet the needs and interests of Indigenous communities will be supported by the grants, including those that:
- Increase opportunities for hands-on learning, especially in getting back to the land, promoting green initiatives and supporting grassroots collectives with Indigenous job creation
- Develop Indigenous place-making projects that promote food security, the growing of traditional medicines and/or ecological biodiversity
- Advance social equity, including gender equity and 2SLGBTQ+ initiatives
- Support the health of Lake Ontario/the Great Lakes or riverine systems and encourage swimmable, drinkable and fishable freshwater systems for future generations
The application review process is going to be led by a committee led by Indigenous people. The City invites intrigued Native people group individuals to select themselves or others to join the board of trustees.
The City of Toronto’s TransformTO Net Zero Strategy and the City’s commitment to continue building partnerships with Indigenous communities in Toronto and advance Truth and Reconciliation are supported by the Indigenous Climate Action Grants. The TransformTO Net Zero Strategy sets an ambitious goal of reducing community-wide greenhouse gas emissions in Toronto to net zero by 2040.
Two batches of applications will be processed. The first deadline for the 2023 grants is Saturday, July 15, and the last one is Friday, September 15, 2023.
