Introducing the 2025 Adaptive and Resilient Communities Cohort

The Tamarack Institute is a registered Canadian charity dedicated to ending poverty in all its forms, for good. We support real people and invest in real communities for long-term change.

New Beginnings for Community Climate Transitions!

In the past few years, we have witnessed a significant shift in the climate action ecosystem toward embracing collaboration and centring community leadership and wisdom. Tamarack could not be more thankful to be part of this story, where these approaches are now seen as essential to climate efforts happening today.  

This year, we’re excited to step into a new chapter for Community Climate Transitions, as we place emphasis on enabling action. It’s never been clearer that we need to galvanize hopeful action and build momentum toward the systems changes that we need, and this starts with people in the places they live.  

– Kieran Maingot, Team Lead, Community Climate Transitions at the Tamarack Institute 

The Community Climate Transitions team at Tamarack is thrilled to welcome 10 members into the Adaptive and Resilient Communities Cohort (ARCC) in 2025. They are in good company, joining a network of over 75 members across Turtle Island who have participated in previous cohorts and continue to stay active as learners in our spaces.   

The Need for Progress 

Facing a poly-crisis of environmental, social, and economic collapse, the time for working together and action is now.  

The ARCC is a critical intervention by Tamarack to build on what we have learned from past years to spur local action. From January to December 2025, members from across what is now called Canada will take part in an action-oriented learning journey to overcome the barriers hindering local climate adaptation and resilience projects. Supported with collective learning spaces, tailored coaching sessions, and an expansive toolbox of resources, the ARCC will help members catalyze whole-of-community action on their local projects. 

Meet the Cohort 

In 2025, we are welcoming 10 members into the ARCC.  

Beaconsfield, QC: City of Beaconsfield - Ville de Beaconsfield 

Durham Region, ON: Durham Region, City of Pickering, Town of Whitby, Township of Brock 

Edmonton, AB: City of Edmonton 

Gatineau, QC: Ville de Gatineau

London, ON: Climate Action London, Woodfield Community Association 

Northwest Territories: Government of Northwest Territories, Royal Roads University, Aurora College 

Peel Region, ON: Region of Peel  

Selkirk, MB: Selkirk Rising, The Manitoba Public Health Association 

Upper Bridge River Valley within the St'at'imc territory, BC: Bridge River Valley Community Association, Thrive Consulting, Cascade Environmental Resource Group 

Winnipeg, MB: Spence Neighbourhood Association, Manitoba Eco-Network 

What the Cohort Is Working On  

Every member starting this journey has spent years working locally to identify climate risks and impacts, develop plans and solutions, and deeply engage partners and residents. The ARCC represents a natural next step in their existing work on the ground.  

When asked about the projects they are looking to advance over the year, members shared significant hopes and milestones, such as:  

• Exploring real pathways to building community resilience, through social connection (e.g., Community social resiliency hubs, neighborhood champions) 

• Creating effective communications strategies for our work to resonate with equity denied populations, discuss co-benefits, and respond to apathy and resistance  

• Creating plans for land/nature-based responses to climate change, as well as identifying ways to prioritize actions based on local strengths and capacities in order to catalyze action 

• Supporting the participatory mapping, engagement, and co-design of knowledge and skill-building tools and processes that fit community and sectoral needs 

• Building partnerships with key partners and champions in the community who can help advance the work and identifying strategies to ensure partners stay mobilized 

• Launching comprehensive awareness campaigns to educate residents about the risks of extreme weather (e.g., heat and flooding) and the benefits of emergency management systems 
• Developing effective structures and tools to evaluate collaborations and project impact, and exploring how to empower those doing the work to use these
   

Join the Network, Get to Action  

Would you like to join the Community Climate Transitions network or nominate a community? Contact our Team Lead, Community Climate Transitions, Kieran Maingot at kieran@tamarackcommunity.ca.

Tamarack’s Adaptive and Resilient Communities Cohort has been made possible thanks to generous support from the Government of Canada and the Definity Insurance Foundation.