Free Technical Support
for Small Communities
The CRIS is administered by the Canadian Urban Institute and funded by the Government of Canada. The service is a part of the Climate Toolkit for Housing and Infrastructure.
How the Climate Ready Infrastructure Service Works
Who Can Participate
Local Governments
Indigenous Governing Bodies, First Nation, Inuit or Metis government or authorities, municipalities, and local governments with populations of under or around 30, 000 inhabitants are eligible for this service.
- Low barrier to entry
- Non Competitive Intake
- First come,first served
- Takes 15-minutes to sign up
- Free expert consulting services
Roster of Climate & Infrastructure Experts
The Roster of Climate and Infrastructure Experts includes top professionals who are leading the way in climate change, infrastructure, and adaptation, from every province and territory.
- Paid opportunities
- Expand your network
- Contribute to national climate goals
- Professional development in the field
- Join a national network of climate change champions
Who we've worked with so far
- Over 200 Canadian communities
- 120 climate and infrastructure experts
- Over 50% of projects serve populations under 5,000
- 97% of surveyed communities would recommend using CRIS
"The CRIS program was fantastic, streamlined intake process, with flexible committed support from the CRIS team and a great roster expert that went above and beyond to provide us with actionable, locally relevant guidance and insights."
"We are so happy with CRIS engagement! We would not be able to do this work without a program such as this. We do not have the staffing capacity or engineering expertise to do this within our municipality. This study will provide us with a roadmap on how to improve our recreation facilities by applying for other grants, outlining end of life of equipment, support GHG for our community and will support us with our asset management and capital budget planning."
"The CRIS project helped my municipality by giving us some different options and cost estimates for implementation of a outdoor sports facility building. The project looked at the best options for a three season facility which included washrooms, change rooms, a canteen and storage building, and what options could be done to be economically responsible during the plan design stage."
As a rural First Nation we face a distinct set of problems, CRIS was happy to work with us in addressing the unique challenges faced by our community.
What you gain from the CRIS
Community Impacts of the CRIS
with free access to expert advice.
The Climate Ready Infrastructure Service is a part of the Climate Toolkit for Housing and Infrastructure
The Climate Toolkit for Housing and Infrastructure is a suite of resources supporting local governments in achieving Canada's 2030 emissions reduction goals and delivering against adaptation commitments found in the National Adaptation Strategy and the Government of Canada Adaptation Action Plan.
How to Get Involved
Local Governments
CRIS does not have a competitive application process. It is a free support service available to any eligible registrant, available on a first-come-first-serve basis.
The intake form is a 10–15-minute commitment. Click here to fill out the form
Roster of Climate & Infrastructure Experts
The Expert Roster is currently closed. Want a heads-up when the next one opens? Join our newsletter for updates, insights, and opportunities straight to your inbox.
Join a Cohort
Alongside the standard offering, cohorts offer peer learning and informational webinars. Cohorts launched so far:
