Antiquated city infrastructure not built to withstand changing climate, says Water Institute member Jason Thistlethwaite.
Canada's warming temperatures will result in more expensive and less comfortable city living, an environment and business expert warns.
Jason Thistlethwaite, assistant professor in Waterloo's School of Environment, Enterprise and Development, explained that vulnerable populations in cities will pay the highest price if rainfall and flooding increases.
"We saw this recently in Toronto with flooding in areas and buildings in the area of Parliament and Bloor. A lot of old buildings, particularly ones that contain a lot of people who are lower-income and socially economically vulnerable, are not built with today's building codes and standards and that actually leaves them quite exposed."
This conversation comes on the heels of a new report on climate change's effects in Canada, which states the country is warming at twice the global rate. As the report outlines, this could cause more frequent and intense rainfall events in cities.
This would increase urban flood risk, which Thistlethwaite said cities just aren't prepared for.
"Cities are by far the most vulnerable political jurisdictions in Canada to climate change, but have the least amount of resources to deal with them," he explained.