Vulnerable people lack access to cooling amid stifling heat across Canada: advocates

Another day of punishing heat and humidity across much of the country was shedding light Monday on the situation for vulnerable Canadians who often struggle to access cooling.

Heat warnings from Environment Canada stretched from the country’s western to eastern coasts, with temperatures reaching the low to mid-30s and humidex values at around 40 C.

Officials recommend limiting time spent outdoors in direct sunlight, monitoring for signs of heat exhaustion and staying in spaces with air conditioning like public cooling centres.

But anti-poverty advocates say it is difficult for many vulnerable people, including those facing homelessness, to follow those recommendations.

ACSA Community Services, based in Toronto’s Scarborough neighbourhood, typically sees an uptick in people accessing help during extreme weather events, said executive director Lee Soda.

While places like ACSA provide relief for anyone who needs it, Soda said the city needs more public indoor spaces that are welcoming for people to comfortably find relief during periods of severe weather.

“Being able to come inside when it’s really hot outside and when it’s really cold outside to meet our basic needs is not a privilege. It’s a right for all of us,” Soda said.

The City of Toronto has a list of cooler spaces around the city where residents can beat the heat in air-conditioned spaces.

But clients at Soda’s organization said most of those are public spaces such as libraries or community centres that would be open anyway and have a closing time early in the evening, and some have faced accusations of loitering after spending time inside.

Clayton, 45, who asked that his last name not be used for privacy reasons, said his experience being unhoused during the summer has been “terrible,” especially when it comes to finding cooler places where he can get relief from the heat.

“The city wants to seem like we have a fantastic plan in place, but then it’s like, where do you go after 8:30 p.m. when it’s still 30 some-odd degrees outside?” Clayton said.

The City of Toronto said in a statement that Metro Hall, located downtown, is open throughout the day while the heat warning is in effect and is often used by homeless individuals.

But the city should rethink requiring people to travel into the heart of the city to access services during severe weather events, especially for those in precarious situations, Clayton said.

“Downtown, you can find a million places to go during the day and get a meal or get out of the heat. In Scarborough, this is few and far between,” Clayton said, adding that some people take buses from neighbouring towns and cities to access ACSA’s services in the east end.

Spending a considerable amount of time under the beaming sun is something Omar Gooroo said he didn’t realize would be a difficult aspect of living on the streets until a couple of months ago.

“You’re always sweating, you’re always overheating. You always get sweat rash no matter what if you don’t shower or clean yourself,” he said.

Though he was ill-equipped for the winter months battling the cold without a jacket, being outside in the warmer months was especially challenging for Gooroo when he couldn’t find a place to shower or access a computer to look up places to escape the weather.

“I’d rather the cold than the heat because you’re not sweating as much,” he said.

People can contact Toronto’s service request phone number, 311, if they see someone who needs support, the city said in a statement, adding that outreach staff may be deployed to help them.

Monday’s heat follows a slew of temperature records broken Sunday across parts of British Columbia, Ontario, New Brunswick and Newfoundland, according to the national weather agency.

A heat warning from Environment Canada remained in effect on Monday for all of southern Ontario, stretching north past Lake Huron and Georgian Bay and east through southern Quebec.

Hot conditions were also washing over Atlantic Canada, with most of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and parts of Newfoundland and Labrador also under a heat warning.

In British Columbia, heat warnings were in place for Metro Vancouver, most of Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, as well as southern B.C’s Fraser Canyon, South Thompson and South Okanagan areas.

Environment Canada says the heat warning is expected to continue throughout the week, likely ending on Wednesday for many areas.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 11, 2025.

Vanessa Tiberio, The Canadian Press