(Toronto) William Gaikezheyongai has lived outdoors long enough to know where to find water in extreme heat.
Posted at 6:18 p.m.
He knows construction workers usually have water bottles in their vans, so he’ll ask for one and splash it on himself. On recent hot summer days, he’s had to repeat the process every hour or so to stay cool.
“It’s hard to find free water and free shelter without someone saying ‘move away’,” says Mr. Gaikezheyongai, an Ojibwa who lives in a tepee near a ravine in Toronto.
I passed out several times and had seizures.
William Gaikezheyongai
As several provinces swelter under heat warnings that Environment Canada says could continue to bring temperatures of 30°C or more for the next few days, experts say more needs to be done to support vulnerable groups, including including homeless populations, who can be particularly affected by extreme heat.
For Mr. Gaikezheyongai, the recent weather has caused his teepee to become very hot and his living conditions to become extremely uncomfortable.
“It was really, really difficult,” he says.
Blair Feltmate, director of the Intact Center for Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo, says homeless people are among the groups most at risk from searing heat.
Just as we accept as a human right that people have warmth and comfort in winter, we need to start thinking about access to coolness in summer.
Blair Feltmate, director of the Intact Center on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo
“It’s not just a matter of comfort, it’s literally a matter of life and death. »
According to an April 2022 report co-authored by Mr. Feltmate, extreme heat events create worse conditions in cities and towns across Canada due to the “urban heat island effect,” in which an area urban area is significantly warmer than surrounding areas.
Mr. Feltmate points out that the heat island effect is caused by sunlight hitting dark or paved surfaces such as factories, shopping malls, apartment buildings and roads, which take up a large percentage of built-up urban areas. When sunlight hits these surfaces, about 80% of the heat source remains in the area and contributes to a warming of about 3-5°C, especially where shade is limited.
“During extreme heat events, everyone is at risk for heat-related illnesses. But the danger is greater for those who are already more vulnerable or less able to protect themselves,” the report said.
cooling centers
Diana Chan McNally, harm reduction case manager at the All Saints Drop-in in Toronto, says extreme heat is just as dangerous for homeless people as extreme cold in winter.
“Not having low-barrier, accessible cooling centers can be quite deadly,” she says.
The City of Toronto activates a Hot Weather Response Plan from mid-May to the end of September to ensure residents, especially those vulnerable to heat, have access to cool spaces.
But that plan does not include specific “cooling centers” this year, with the City saying such locations have been deemed insufficient in the past to minimize health risks.
Instead, the City says it now has a “heat relief network” of 300 locations, including libraries, community centers and swimming pools, as well as shelters and respite centers, where residents can seek a break from the heat.
The City said it also has street crews monitoring those living outdoors when heat alerts are in place.
Mme Chan McNally criticized the City for not having emergency cooling centers like in the past.
“This (rescue network) has things like a swimming pool, which is not accessible to homeless people, or a children’s paddling pool, which is not appropriate for an adult to use,” she says. .
“What we’re asking homeless people to do is basically fend for themselves and their only real options most of the time are to go to private spaces, like a Tim Hortons or a mall, where often they are simply not welcome. »
According to Feltmate’s research, much of Canada is projected to experience extreme temperatures between 2051 and 2080 based on three indicators: maximum daily temperature, number of days with temperatures above 30°C, and duration of heat waves.
“The maximum daily temperature will increase, the number of days during the summer when the temperature exceeds 30°C will increase and the duration of heat waves will lengthen,” Feltmate explains.
In Toronto, Feltmate says the current number of days above 30°C is between 12 and 14 days per summer. By 2050 to 2060, this is expected to increase to 55 days per summer.
Feltmate notes that these numbers are fairly consistent with trends in other major cities across Canada.
“That’s where we’re headed,” he said. As problematic and difficult as we rate the extreme heat we are experiencing today, it is still relatively mild compared to the extreme heat that is coming. »
With information from Noushin Ziafati