As Vancouver braces for a potentially record-breaking summer, a OneCity councillor is bringing a motion forward to help residents cope with the heat.
Five years after the heat dome that broke records around the province, Lucy Maloney is bringing a motion forward to ensure cooling and clean air access are available to residents.
Maloney’s motion comes on the heels of the City deciding to no longer offer cool kits to residents in the summer.
Since 2022, the City has distributed cool kits to help people mitigate the effects of hot weather and polluted air over the summer months. They did this by supplying the kits to community organizations, who would then give them to Vancouverites who needed them.
Maloney’s motion calls on the City to align its services with “research-based solutions and extend cooling centre hours throughout the summer, ensuring everyone has access to a cooling and clean air space beyond declared extreme heat alerts.”
“Five years after the heat dome and ahead of a summer which scientists say may be one of the hottest on record, we have to act proactively and open community centres for extended hours throughout the Summer months,” said Councillor Maloney in a release.
“It is a public measure, backed by research,” she added.
Maloney’s motion brings attention to the idea that it’s not just extreme heat events that put residents at risk.
“Indoor temperatures in older buildings regularly exceed health guidelines as early as June, often surpassing outdoor temperatures even overnight, preventing essential physical recovery. Yet the City’s cooling infrastructure remains largely focused on emergency relief when regional activation thresholds are being met,” the OneCity release says.
The City of New West is attempting to address concerns over indoor temperatures, too, with a new bylaw.
As we enter the month of May, temperatures are expected to be above normal with dry conditions.
“There is a 60 to 80 per cent chance that temperatures will be above seasonal daytime highs, and there’s not a lot of precipitation in the forecast for much of the province,” Environment and Climate Change Canada told Daily Hive in a recent interview.
“Seniors, pregnant people and families with young children are disproportionately affected by urban heat, even at night. They need a break from the heat, and the City’s services should reflect the reality of what residents are actually experiencing,” said Councillor Maloney.
During the heat dome, hundreds of people died, a majority of those being vulnerable residents like seniors.
The motion, “Proactively protecting residents from dangerous heat,” will be considered at the May 6 council meeting.
We’ll likely have more information on a full summer weather forecast for Vancouver soon.
With files from Hanna Hett and Daniel Chai