HL28.03Section 3 | Extreme Weather Attachment Events and Impact Areas in Toronto 1 RESILIENT FOOD SYSTEMS, RESILIENT CITIES: A High-Level Vulnerability Assessment of Toronto’s Food System Kimberly Zeuli, Austin Nijhuis and Zachary Gerson-Nieder July 2018 Resilient Food Systems, Resilient Cities | 0 Acknowledgements This report was prepared for Toronto Public Health (TPH). It benefited from a partnership between TPH and the Environment & Energy Division. The Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) and Meister Consultants Group (MCG) would like to thank Toronto Public Health, the Project Advisory Committee, and Project Manager Ronald Macfarlane, for their leadership and insight. We are grateful for the valuable contributions provided by Project Advisory Committee members David T. MacLeod, Taryn Ridsdale, Brian Cook, and Barbara Emanuel. We also want to thank the public and private sector stakeholders from Toronto who shared expertise with us through interviews and meetings. The strength of the report is due to the contributions of our partners and the authors claim responsibility for all errors and omissions. For inquiries about this report, please contact Kim Zeuli at [email protected]. Project Team Kim Zeuli, Austin Nijhuis and Zachary Nieder at ICIC, in partnership with the Project Advisory Committee, led the study. The Project Advisory Committee included Ronald Macfarlane (Project Manager), Barbara Emanuel, David T. MacLeod, Taryn Ridsdale, and Brian Cook. Kathryn Wright, Julie Curti and Joyce Lam at Meister Consultants Group supported the study. The Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) ICIC is a national, nonprofit research and advisory organization focused on driving urban economic development since 1994. In 2014, ICIC developed a groundbreaking resilience framework to allow cities to conduct a rapid assessment of food system vulnerabilities to natural disasters and extreme weather events. ICIC has analyzed urban food system vulnerabilities in seven North American cities and national experts in the field have adopted our framework. For more information about ICIC, please visit www.icic.org. Meister Consultants Group, A Cadmus Company (MCG) MCG is a Boston-based sustainability consulting firm specializing in renewable energy policy, strategy development, and climate change planning. Since 2008, MCG has supported local level renewable energy policy, procurement, training, and engagement initiatives in over 200 communities across all 50 states, and has assisted state and national governments around the world with development of clean energy initiatives. For more information about MCG, please visit www.mc-group.com. Resilient Food Systems, Resilient Cities | 1 Toronto Public Health Toronto Public Health (TPH) reports to the Toronto Board of Health and is responsible for protecting and promoting the health and well-being of all 2.8 million residents of Toronto. TPH has focused on protecting and promoting the health of Toronto residents since 1883 by: • Preventing the spread of disease, promoting healthy living and advocating for conditions that improve health for Toronto residents; • Using surveillance to monitor the health status of the population in order to respond to on-going and emerging health needs; and • Developing and implementing public policy and practices that enhance the health of individuals, communities and the entire city. Toronto Environment & Energy Division In addition to promoting environmental sustainability, energy efficiency and conservation within the City’s internal operations, the Environment & Energy Division: • Supports initiatives to enhance the resilience of the City of Toronto government, residents and businesses to the effects of climate change; • Develops and implements environmental and energy policies, projects and programs that promote sustainable development and the growth of the green economy; • Provides research and policy expertise; • Establishes and leverages partnerships with internal and external stakeholders; and • Delivers tools and resources to engage Toronto residents and businesses in adopting sustainable lifestyles and business practice. Resilient Food Systems, Resilient Cities | 2 CONTENTS Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................................................................... 5 1. Overview of Toronto’s Food System Vulnerability Assessment ........................................................................................ 9 Approach ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 12 Highlights of Findings ................................................................................................................................................................... 13 2. Analyzing the Vulnerability of Toronto’s Food System to Extreme Weather ............................................................ 15 ICIC’s Framework for Analyzing Urban Food System Resilience .................................................................................... 17 Ontario Climate Change and Health Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment Guidelines .............................. 22 The City of Toronto’s High Level Risk Assessment Tool................................................................................................... 22 3. Extreme Weather Events and Impact Areas in Toronto .............................................................................................. 24 Flooding ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 26 Heat Waves ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 29 Ice Storms ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 30 4. Food System Infrastructure Vulnerabilities in Toronto ...................................................................................................... 31 Public Transportation ................................................................................................................................................................... 32 The Road Network ......................................................................................................................................................................... 35 Electrical Power................................................................................................................................................................................37 Telecommunications ..................................................................................................................................................................... 39 Fuel Supply Transportation, Storage and Distribution ...................................................................................................... 41 5. The Impact of Extreme Weather Events on Toronto’s Food System ........................................................................... 44 Food Production Vulnerabilities ............................................................................................................................................... 45 Regional food production ........................................................................................................................................................ 45 Urban agriculture ....................................................................................................................................................................... 47 Food Processing Vulnerabilities ................................................................................................................................................ 48 Food Distribution Vulnerabilities .............................................................................................................................................. 49 Ontario Food Terminal .................................................................................................................................................................. 51 Food Retail Vulnerabilities .......................................................................................................................................................... 53 Restaurant Vulnerabilities ............................................................................................................................................................57 High-Rises Increase the Distance to Food Retail Stores and Restaurants ................................................................. 58 6. Food-Related Public Health Impacts from Extreme Weather Events .......................................................................... 60 Food Safety Vulnerabilities Associated with Home Meal Preparation ......................................................................... 61 Resilient Food Systems, Resilient Cities | 3 Food Sanitation Vulnerabilities at Commercial Food Businesses................................................................................... 61 Poverty-Based