More than 25 researchers from the University of Victoria played a key role in the release of "Canada's Changing Climate Report 2026," the most detailed scientific evaluation of how climate change is affecting people, nature, and coastal areas across the country. The report highlights that human activities, specifically the emission of greenhouse gases, are causing widespread and interconnected environmental changes, including more frequent extreme heat, longer wildfire seasons, reduced snow and ice, warmer ocean temperatures, and rising sea levels. Among the University of Victoria researchers involved are Xuebin Zhang, director of the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium (PCIC), who contributed to the report’s steering and science advisory committees. Roberta Hamme, director of UVic's School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, and Francis Zwiers, a former PCIC director and scientist emeritus, are lead authors for the sections on ocean changes and long-term climate trends, respectively. The report shows that Canada's oceans have warmed and become more acidic due to increased carbon dioxide from human activities. Marine heat waves—periods of unusually high ocean temperatures—are now occurring more often and with greater intensity, impacting both marine life and coastal communities. In British Columbia, where PCIC focuses its research, the changes observed are similar to those across much of the country. Meanwhile, Canada's Arctic regions are warming at a much faster rate than other parts of the country and are receiving more precipitation, as expected under global warming scenarios. This report provides the most recent and comprehensive analysis of how Canada’s climate is changing and what future changes are likely. The data and analysis from UVic researchers help local and regional leaders understand the risks they face and prepare for the future. For instance, the report includes estimates of how much Canada has warmed not only since 1948, when national climate data collection began, but also since the preindustrial period between 1850 and 1900. This was possible thanks to Tong Li, a PCIC postdoctoral fellow, who developed advanced methods to combine limited historical observations with climate models. The 2026 report updates the 2019 assessment, which has been a key reference for understanding climate change in Canada. Its findings will support decision-making at all levels, from city planning and emergency response to Indigenous-led adaptation efforts, water resource management, and improvements to building codes to enhance resilience against future climate challenges.