Oak Bay Coolkit Program

Overview of the Oak Bay Coolkit Program

The Oak Bay Coolkit program is a community-driven initiative designed to engage residents in localized climate action. Launched in collaboration with UBC’s Collaborative for Advanced Landscape Planning (CALP) and the District of Oak Bay, this program emphasizes practical solutions for climate resilience at the neighborhood level. The Oak Bay Coolkit mobilizes individual and neighbourhood climate action through participation in a series of fun and interactive engagement activities, including:

• neighbourhood conversations,
• local asset and climate vulnerability mapping,
• carbon footprint calculators,
• visioning exercises, and
• developing localized climate action plans.
  • Goals:
    • Achieve 40% tree canopy cover by 2045.
    • Reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2030.
    • Mobilize individual and collective climate action through tools like the Oak Bay Coolkit.

🎉 Celebrating Three Years of the Oak Bay Coolkit Program 🎉

August 2024 marks the official three-year anniversary of the Oak Bay Coolkit Program. Launched in September 2021 through a partnership between UBC’s Collaborative for Advanced Landscape Planning (CALP) and the District of Oak Bay, the program has engaged residents in meaningful climate action at the neighborhood level. Over three years, the program had the following achievements:

• Community Engagement and Capacity Building:
  • Trained over 60 climate champions from diverse backgrounds.
  • Formed 12 collective action groups, representing 20% of Oak Bay’s residential blocks.
  • Facilitated the planting of 183 Coolkit trees, including 66 iconic Garry Oaks, enhancing the community’s green infrastructure.
  • Hosted numerous workshops, monthly evening sessions, and climate walks to inspire local climate action plans, such as rain gardens, pollinator corridors, and tree-planting initiatives.

• Innovative Outreach:
  • Door-to-door campaigns and events like tree appreciation days expanded program reach, engaging 35 new households in Year 3.

To document the program’s progress and provide insights for future initiatives, a comprehensive Year 3 Evaluation Report was delivered in August 2024. This report highlights the achievements, challenges, and lessons learned, as well as strategic recommendations for scaling up and sustaining the momentum.

Key Outcomes

• Increased Community Awareness:
  • Participants reported improved understanding of climate vulnerabilities and solutions.
  • Confidence in discussing climate issues rose from 64% to 94% among Year 1 participants.
• Action-Oriented Results:
  • Collective projects such as the establishment of Oak Bay’s first “Tiny Forest” and pollinator-friendly corridors.
  • Individual actions included EV adoption, rooftop solar installations, and sustainable gardening.

A New Chapter: Community-Led Growth

While the formal partnership between CALP and the District of Oak Bay concluded in 2024 due to funding constraints, the Oak Bay Coolkit Program is continuing to grow stronger. Many climate champions are now independently leading initiatives, fostering greater engagement, and building on the program’s foundation. These champions are not only implementing their own Climate Action Plans but are also inspiring neighbors and local organizations to take part in shaping Oak Bay’s climate-resilient future.

The program has evolved into a vibrant grassroots movement, showcasing the power of collective action and community leadership in addressing climate challenges. With dedicated champions and continued support from the District, the Oak Bay Coolkit Program remains a beacon of climate innovation and collaboration.

 

Moving Forward: Recommendations

• Supporting Champions:
  • Annual workshops to train and connect champions from all cohorts.
  • Visible neighborhood signage showcasing climate actions.
• Scaling Up:
  • Continued focus on tree planting in low-canopy areas.
  • Strategic partnerships to engage diverse community groups.
• Shifting Culture:
  • Stronger messaging on critical climate goals (e.g., tree canopy targets, emissions reductions).
  • Demonstration projects to inspire wider community involvement.
• Strategic Coordination:
  • Enhanced staff capacity for cross-departmental climate action initiatives.
  • Establishment of a Climate Action Forum to guide and support community efforts.

 

 

Year 1 Results

Year 1 Program achievements included:

• An accessible and attractive Coolkit package customised to Oak Bay, available as a DIY resource free to all residents on the Oak Bay website, with a reasonably high media profile across the community
• District staff from across departments trained in the Coolkit process and involved in community workshops as co-facilitators and/or advisors to champions
• Program promotion through: tree-planting events attended by Council members, staff, & Coolkit champions; support from Oak Bay Neighbourhood Association; media coverage from CBC & local media; and presentation/workshop at ICLEI’s national Livable Cities Forum in Victoria in 2022
• Well-attended week-end workshops and climate walk, with much collaboration within and between neighbourhood groups, resulting in a network of trained Oak Bay Coolkit champions and multiple local climate action plans,

Who participated?

A total of 46 participants registered for the Oak Bay Coolkit program, representing most Oak Bay neighbourhoods, with 23-25 people attending each of the 3 Workshops (plus District staff, Council members, and other observers). A range of participants took the program, including:
• Several skilled community leaders/organizers (with different levels of experience),
• Many who were predisposed towards greener lifestyles
• Some with previous volunteer experience
• Neighbours and family members of other participants
• Members of community organisations

What did the participants learn:

• Improved understanding of the “Big Moves” on climate actions by residents that align with the Oak Bay Climate Action Working Group (CCAWG) recommendations to Council
• Improved awareness of their individual carbon footprints
• Recognition of the value of collective climate action at the local scale
• Capacity-building skills gained in understanding local climate impacts and how to engage others: several groups designed and implemented innovative events and workshops, using visual learning tools like mapping and visualizing solutions to stimulate & record residents’ ideas.
• Bonding with neighbours and community through fun, social, hands-on activities
• Increased agency and motivation to make changes and collaborate with the Oak Bay District on climate issues/solutions addressing both private and public land.
• Champions acquired improved insights on other residents’ perceptions (pros and cons) of climate action.

What we heard from participants:
• Enthusiasm for the Coolkit Champion program and collectively-developing local climate action plans
• Strong support and advice from existing community orgs., eg, Community Association of Oak Bay

Resources

Download Oak Bay Coolkit Year 3 Final Evaluation Report (4 MB)

Download Oak Bay Coolkit Year 1 Technical Report (2 MB)

Download Oak Bay Coolkit Handbook (21.6 MB)