The Deputy Mayor of St. John’s has signed on to an open letter asking each of the federal leaders for a “bold plan” to address climate action and economic sovereignty.

The letter has been signed by more than 160 municipal leaders across the country.

It outlines what Sheilagh O’Leary calls “five bold and achievable actions” that can be taken at the federal level.

They include the creation of a clean electric grid across the country, a national high-speed rail network, and the building of two-million non-market green homes. It also highlights the need to retrofit homes and install heat-pumps, and funding for a national strategy to deal with climate disasters.

O’Leary believes a climate emergency is happening, and municipal leaders want to make sure the conversation doesn’t get diverted away from what many communities are facing.

She says people don’t have to look too far to see the effects of climate change – including the wildfires in Labrador last year, Hurricane Fiona, Hurricane Igor, and coastal erosion and flooding – issues she says can’t be ignored.