To support climate action and environmental stewardship in the township, a shared Climate Coordinator was established with the Township of Centre Wellington. Recognizing that climate change affects all sectors, services, and areas of Township business, our climate change coordinator collaborates with Township departments and community partners, such as the County of Wellington and the Grand River Conservation Authority.
What is the Township Doing?
In support of the 2023-2026 Strategic Business Plan, the Township of Mapleton created a role for a climate change coordinator to supplement staff resources. Recognizing that climate change impacts all sectors, services and areas of Township business, our climate change coordinator collaborates with departments within the Township, and various community partners, such as County of Wellington and the Grand River Conservation Authority.
Climate Planning
Mapleton has been working on plans for climate mitigation and climate adaptation.
A municipality can take several key steps to reduce energy consumption, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and operational costs. These include conservation, improving energy efficiency, and transitioning away from fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas. Every 5 years we are required to update our Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan, which provides a roadmap for energy-reduction opportunities, especially for high Energy Use Intensity (EUI) facilities. We have begun conducting energy audits to inform these plans and, in 2026, completed a full audit of the PMD Arena in Drayton.
In 2021, we conducted a community-wide greenhouse gas emissions inventory to serve as a baseline. In 2024, we joined the Impact Network, a regional coalition of businesses and local governments that provides GHG tracking software and peer networking and education support in a collective effort to reduce emissions.
We are currently developing a Corporate Climate Action Plan, that provide a roadmap of defined goals, timelines, and priorities to address climate change and offer guidance for how to integrate climate considerations across municipal operations. This plan is intended to be complementary to the Wellington County Climate Adaptation Plan.
The Drayton Flood Mitigation Project
The community of Drayton has a long history of minor and severe flooding events. In 2017, a severe flood prompted a series of actions, and along with our community partners, The Township of Mapleton has been working to explore and implement measures to protect the community of Drayton from flooding now and into the future. The progression of actions described below, lead to what is now known as The Flood Mitigation Project.
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The Township of Mapleton conducted an After-Action Assessment Report which summarizes events and responses to the 2017 flood. It also outlines recommendations for future flood protection.
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Disaster Recovery Assistance Program (DRAP) funding supported culvert upgrades, shoreline stabilization, and planning for climate-related risks, including wastewater capacity improvements now underway.
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In 2022, The Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) staff report to Council outlined intent to assess flood damages in Drayton and nearby communities, referred to as Flood Damages Assessment.
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GRCA Flood Damages Assessment study was completed in 2023 by Matrix Solutions on behalf of the GRCA. More information can be found on the GRCA website here. Findings from this study, suggest extending the dike in Drayton as a potential measure for flood protection. This was presented to Council in 2024.
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In December 2025, Council affirmed the need for an infrastructure project to abate flooding risks in Drayton. Council directed the Finance Department to incorporate the preliminary high-level cost estimate from the Flood Damages Assessment ($4.3 millions) into the 10-year Capital Budget Forecast, subject to funding approvals. Council also directed staff to explore funding options and partnerships that would support the Drayton Flood Mitigation Project.
What is the Flood Mitigation Project?
The Drayton Flood Mitigation Project is a collaborative initiative between the Township of Mapleton and project partners. The intention of this project is to enhance community resilience by exploring opportunities to reduce flood risks to residents, businesses, and municipal infrastructure.
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Community engagement: Experiences and input from community are vital to this project. We are planning a series of opportunities for community members to share their experiences of flooding, and their thoughts on flood protection.
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Technical and economic assessments: The project is evaluating feasible flood mitigation options to identify a preferred solution that provides long-term risk reduction, protects properties, and helps the community prepare for future flooding and extreme weather events.
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Secured direct service funding worth $25,000 from Climate Ready Infrastructure Services to support studies. CIMA+ has been engaged to complete an initial options analysis that considers dike alignment, climate informed flood modeling and high-level cost estimates to support decision making.
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Secured $100, 000 of funding from Co-operators Resilience Acceleration Lab to support the Flood Mitigation Project with climate risk expertise, resilience planning tools, community engagement (hired a part-time temporary Community Engagement Coordinator), and to explore innovative funding and partnership opportunities.
We will continue to work with our partners, CIMA+ and the GRCA to explore technical aspects such as options, feasibility and costing.
We will begin collaborating with the community, by reaching out to Drayton community members, business and community partners to explore experiences, impacts, values and perceptions in relation to flooding and protection measures. Watch for upcoming opportunities to participate on our website, social media pages and newspaper.