Meet Katryna Barone—the City’s first-ever Climate Action Intern, a new position that came to fruition following the adoption of the Community Climate Action Plan (CCAP) in June 2021.
Barone is a TRU Geography and Environmental Studies graduate who has been working around Western Canada in the environmental sector since she graduated in 2019. She returned to her hometown of Kamloops in January 2022 to begin her four-month internship in the City’s Climate and Sustainability Division.
While the City has been involved in climate action initiatives for many years, the adoption of the CCAP and its lofty set of goals—called Big Moves—set in motion a formal framework to operationalize and achieve strategic goals for reducing community greenhouse gas emissions.
With financial support from Career Launcher, a federally-funded program that supports meaningful work experiences for students and recent grads, Barone’s internship has been focused on targets outlined in Big Move 4—Zero-Carbon Homes & Buildings.
This Big Move aims to reduce residential energy consumption by supporting the transition to high-performance, energy-efficient homes and buildings.
“My research revolves around heat pumps, which are a highly efficient, low-carbon technology that can provide space and water heating. I’ve consulted local trades companies to explore the challenges and opportunities around the installation and use of heat pumps locally, and to enhance opportunities for industry capacity building,” explained Barone.
Through surveys and focus groups, Barone has been able to connect with and gain insight from local suppliers, installers, and homeowners.
“I’ve helped to establish a resource bank that includes best practices, training resources, and marketing materials,” said Barone. “I have a few more focus groups coming up in April and will be putting the results of all of my research together in a report”.
Barone’s internship wraps up at the end of April, after which she plans to move to the Sea-to-Sky corridor to continue climate research in her next position.
“I have gained a deeper understanding of how the City of Kamloops, other municipalities, organizations, and the province all function together to promote sustainable growth in our communities. This internship has been an excellent experience for me and has allowed me to learn so much.”
Glen Cheetham, the City’s Climate and Sustainability Manager, agrees the inaugural internship has been a success.
“Achieving the targets in the CCAP will require innovation and new ways of thinking. This internship experience has provided excellent insight into the unique challenges of using heat pumps in our climate zone, including promising opportunities to address them in partnership with local industry.”
As for future Climate Action internships, Cheetham says he hopes to be able to offer the position again, if and when further funding is received.
To learn more about climate action initiatives underway in our city, visit Kamloops.ca/ClimateAction.
