A person sits on the beach under an umbrella as sail boats pass in Vancouver in July, 2024. Environment Canada predicts 2026 could be the hottest year on record for the planet.ETHAN CAIRNS/The Canadian Press
The City of Vancouver has stopped funding a program that provided low-income residents with spray bottles and cooling gel packs to help them cope in summer heat, a move advocates say could put people at risk.
The “cool kits” were part of the Resilient Neighbourhoods Program, which was developed after the 2021 heat dome. That weather event led to 619 heat-related deaths in B.C. between June 25 and July 1.
The kits, which contained a spray bottle, cool gel compress, a bucket and a thermometer for body readings, were handed out by organizations across B.C. to help unhoused and low-income populations, as well as seniors and people with disabilities.
With Environment Canada predicting 2026 could be the hottest year on record for the planet, and temperatures already reaching new highs in the province, one Vancouver city councillor fought to reinstate the funding, but was denied by council on May 6.
“These cool kits were helpful to making sure nobody was left behind,” OneCity councillor Lucy Maloney said.
Along with bringing back the kits, Ms. Maloney’s motion included extending the hours of cooling centres, improving tree canopy coverage and allowing people to ride transit free of charge during extreme heat events.
“Organizations and charities will now have to put together cool kits themselves, and that is a shame because they do lots of important work in other areas,” she said.
In an e-mail statement to The Globe and Mail, Johann Chang, a senior communications specialist with the city, said that while the cool kits will no longer be distributed to community organizations, “the City will continue to provide robust information and practical guidance on preparing for hot weather, staying cool at home, and creating cool kits.”
Nick Wells, a media relations specialist with the Union Gospel Mission, says people in the Downtown Eastside rely on cool kits and cooling centres during heat waves.
“Every summer, we are seeing new heat records broken. When you are unhoused, you lack access to the ability to cool down and these cool kits are helpful in enabling temporary solutions,” Mr. Wells said.
In June 2024, the mission, along with the University of British Columbia‘s Sustainability Hub, recommended that Vancouver prioritize emergency spaces and provide better access to drinking fountains and bottled water for Downtown Eastside residents.
“We urge the city to look at these recommendations and see how we can help those vulnerable to the heat,” Mr. Wells said.
In Ontario, the City of Hamilton will continue to distribute similar cool kits.
Councillor Cameron Kroetsch said that a pilot project has been extended, adding that the kits are a good alternative for people who are unable to get to the city’s cooling centres – “especially on the evening or on weekends when there are not as many municipal services.”
The city is also considering a bylaw that would force landlords to install cooling equipment in rental units and apartment buildings to prevent indoor temperatures from exceeding 26 C.
A current bylaw requires the temperature mandate only in units and apartment buildings that already have air conditioners installed.
Mr. Kroetsch said he expects council to review the proposal in June.