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Deaths in Canada’s 12 most populous cities rise during extreme heat waves and people aged 65 and older are at greater risk than younger people, according to a Statistics Canada report released Wednesday.
The cities surveyed were: Brampton, Ont.; Calgary; Edmonton; Hamilton; Mississauga, Ont.; Montreal; Ottawa; Quebec; Surrey, BC; Toronto; Vancouver and Winnipeg.
Cities with a higher number of renters had a higher risk of death during extreme heat waves.
That’s consistent with previous research suggesting that people who rent are less likely to have air conditioning than people who own their homes, StatCan research analyst Matthew Quick said in an interview.
That increased risk could also indicate a stock offering, says Dr. Anna Gunz, an associate professor of medicine at Western University in London, Ont.
“Are rental properties also places where there might be a little bit of green desert and where people don’t live close to trees, parks and other areas of greenery that we also know can provide ambient cooling to the area?” said Gunz, who specializes in climate change and heat.
The study looked at daily mortality data for 20 years between 2000 and 2020 and also found that the risk of heat-related deaths was higher in cities where extreme heat was less common, including Vancouver and Surrey.
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While the data cannot prove cause, one possible explanation could be that those cities have fewer adaptation measures, such as air conditioning, than other cities, Quick said.
“(Or) perhaps people are more aware of the consequences of extreme heat and adjust their daily routines accordingly,” he said of people in places that see more extreme heat.
The study looked at respiratory, cardiovascular and ‘non-accidental’ deaths during heat waves. “Non-accidental” is a non-specific category that includes deaths not caused by accidents such as car crashes or poisonings, Quick said.
According to the data, seniors in both Montreal and Toronto had a higher death rate due to respiratory problems on extremely hot days.
People aged 65 and older in Montreal also had a higher risk of cardiovascular disease during extreme heat waves.
“It is well established in the scientific literature that high temperatures and extreme heat are associated with higher risks of death, more hospitalizations, more emergency calls and these types of health outcomes,” Quick said.
But previous research looked at deaths after specific extreme heat events and this study took a broader approach, he said.
“The purpose of this study was to be at a very high level, looking at a range of different cities and climates in Canada and trying to understand the average impact over 21 years.”
© 2024 The Canadian Press
