The 2021 heat dome, the deadliest environmental disaster in Canadian history, exposed how the impacts of extreme heat are felt unequally across our communities. Researchers from the Centre for Climate Justice have created the Right to Cool Report, calling for transformative, rights-based action to ensure no one is left behind in a warming province. Drawing on the lived experiences of renters, seniors, migrant workers, disabled people, and low-income communities, this report calls for more than technical fixes or temporary programmes. It offers a holistic framework for heat governance rooted in equity, care, and enforceable protections, aiming to create systemic solutions for a more equitable future.
In this report, we:
- Identify the limitations of current heat-response policies
- Centre the voices of communities disproportionately impacted by heat
- Propose a framework rooted in justice, equity, and collective care
- Offer actionable policy recommendations for municipal and provincial governments