Temperatures in Toronto soared to the mid-30s, with humidity making it feel as hot as 46 degrees.Sammy Kogan/The Globe and Mail
Toronto council has endorsed a proposal from Mayor Olivia Chow to update and review the city’s heat relief strategy.
The motion, which passed in a Thursday-night vote, also requires the city to consider reopening 24/7 cooling centres and bringing back the position of chief resiliency officer, a role dedicated to addressing gaps in the city’s heat response strategy over the long term.
The debate and vote in council followed a record-breaking heat wave earlier in the week that caused temperatures to soar to the mid-30s, which felt as hot as 46 degrees when taking the humidity into account.
A city report on climate change last year noted that four out of the five hottest years on record have happened since 2010, and the city has experienced more extremely hot days – with temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius – in recent decades. The report warned that the changing climate poses a risk to public health.
During this week’s heat wave, 42 people visited Toronto emergency departments for heat-related medical attention, according to Toronto Public Health.
The city was criticized for closing some public swimming pools during the heat wave because of concerns staff would overheat, despite the fact that more than 50 outdoor pools are part of Toronto’s heat response plan, and the local government has faced pressure for years to re-open round-the-clock cooling centres, which were shut down in 2019.
Marsha Lederman: In our warming world, we deserve temperature safety
Ms. Chow publicly apologized for the pool closures and put forward the motion to address the public’s concerns.
Effective immediately, Toronto is allocating up to $50,000 from the corporate extreme weather reserve to distribute at least 500,000 water bottles this summer. The motion also mandated medical personnel support staff at outdoor pools for “undisrupted operation” during a heat wave and required all CampTO locations to have a heat event contingency plan.
City staff will report back at the end of the year with recommendations to improve Toronto’s heat response, including the role of a CRO and funding a pilot program with the Red Cross to check in on vulnerable populations.
Ms. Chow told council the city operated 545 cooling locations, handed out 14,000 water bottles and opened 100 shelter beds in response to the heat wave.
Prolonged heat exposure is dangerous, causing dizziness, nausea and fainting. Vulnerable populations, such as infants and the elderly, are at the greatest heat-related medical risk. Unhoused people and outdoor workers are also more affected by heat events, according to public health.
“We know there will be more heat waves and we need to be better prepared,” Ms. Chow told council.
The City of Toronto faced criticism for its decision to close public swimming pools during the heat wave.Sammy Kogan/The Globe and Mail
An amended motion passed with 21 votes to one. The dissenter, Councillor Stephen Holyday, thought parts of the motion were too vague.
Mr. Holyday said in an interview he was skeptical about spending $50,000 on bottled water. Instead, he said he is in favour of sending water trailers to high-priority areas.
“Go ask somebody who pays their taxes … whether or not they think that they should be paying for bottled water to be handed out in a city where tap water is free,” Mr. Holyday said.
Until 2019, Toronto had a chief resilience officer to plan for and manage challenges posed by extreme weather linked to climate change. The role was funded by the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities grant, but was not continued by the city.
Montreal, Calgary, and Vancouver also appointed CROs through the same initiative. The three cities all have a dedicated resilience city staff member, according to the Resilient Cities Network website.
City councillors questioned whether it’s necessary to bring back a CRO. Toronto has an emergency management team and has been able to successfully manage heat events in the past.
“We’ve got many capable members of the public service that know how to deal with emergency situations and these type of scenarios. Let’s start with thinking through what they do,” Mr. Holyday said.
Ms. Chow said the city must be ready for all kinds of extreme weather.
“We know that we have a climate crisis,” Ms. Chow said. “Hotter days, more rainfalls, flooding, dramatic events, snow. Faster, more severe.”
City staff warned councillors that the strategy may not be enough in the long term. The city’s executive director of climate, James Nowlan, told council that within the next 10 to 15 years, experts predict 26 to 44 days of heat events per year.