Two and a half years ago, we launched the St. James Town Heat Wave Project with our partner Community Resilience to Extreme Weather (CREW) to protect residents from extreme heat.
This project was a response to the fact that many older high-rise buildings were not designed to handle extended heat waves, putting many residents at risk. It has empowered a strong group of community leaders who have been vocal advocates for securing proper cooling resources. Together, we’ve worked to prioritize people-first solutions and push for stronger City policies and programs that ensure all residents stay safe during heat waves, building resilience and equity in our communities.
In 2021, a massive heat dome descended on British Columbia. Of the over 600 deaths, more than 98 percent occurred indoors, many succumbing in their own homes. [2]
High indoor temperatures can be deadly, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly, young children, and people with pre-existing health conditions. As Toronto is expected to face more than sixty 30-plus degree days each year by the 2040s, we need to ensure that everyone is protected from extreme indoor heat. [1]
The Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA) helped launch a joint campaign to address the rising threat of extreme heat, a growing climate issue that’s putting Toronto tenants at risk. With heatwaves becoming more frequent and severe, tenants, particularly those without proper cooling, face dangerous living conditions. TEA along with allies like ACORN, the Canadian Environmental Law Association, and Community Resilience to Extreme Weather (CREW) created a coalition called the Toronto Heat Safety Coalition. It is a group of tenant advocacy organizations, environmental groups, lawyers, doctors, seniors groups, and concerned residents.
Together, we’re pushing the City of Toronto to implement a maximum indoor temperature by-law that would limit indoor temperatures in residential buildings to 26ºC. We are also calling for short term solutions to help keep people safe during heatwaves, such as providing dedicated cooling rooms in apartment buildings with little or no cooling access inside tenants’ homes, providing vulnerable tenants with heat pumps or air conditioning units, and offering free TTC rides during extreme heat days, ensuring everyone can reach cooling centers safely.
With our allies, we're informing the public on the dangers of extreme heat. Our campaign gained significant media attention, with features on CTV, CBC News, CityNews, National Observer and an in-depth discussion on TVO’s The Agenda. Through these platforms, we were able to highlight the urgent need for change, sharing stories of tenants suffering in sweltering apartments and pressing the city for action.
TEA has also teamed up with Community Resilience to Extreme Weather (CREW) to conduct outreach in St. James Town, one of Toronto’s most densely populated neighbourhoods. We distributed surveys to residents to gather crucial information on how hot it got inside their apartments during heatwaves, whether they had access to cooling resources, and what steps they were taking to stay safe. This on-the-ground outreach helped us better understand the challenges faced by tenants, and it’s reinforced the need for more comprehensive cooling measures in Toronto’s buildings.
Our fight to protect Toronto tenants from extreme heat is far from over. Here’s how you can help:
- Contact your City Councillor: Let them know you support the maximum indoor temperature by-law to keep tenants safe.
- Raise awareness: Talk to your neighbours, friends, and community about the risks of extreme heat and the need for better policies.
- Stay connected: Follow TEA’s social media channels (Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter/X) and sign up for our newsletter to stay informed about upcoming actions and events.
Extreme heat is a serious and escalating challenge, but together, we can ensure Toronto is ready to protect its residents as we continue cutting climate pollution. Help us continue the fight for safer, cooler homes, and a more resilient city!
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