Toronto’s response to killer heat / smog is dangerously inadequate, says nurse Cathy Crowe: More will die unless action is taken

As Toronto suffers through a summer of killer heat and smog, the city’s response is dangerously inadequate, says Street Nurse Cathy Crowe. Today (July 13) marks Toronto’s record-breaking 11th Extreme Heat Alert – and more are forecast. In an average year, 120 Torontonians die prematurely from the heat, and another 822 from smog, according to the city’s Medical Officer of Health. “This year, our weather is breaking every record for smog and heat. That means more homeless people, poor people and others will die unless Toronto takes effective action,” warns Crowe. “The Coroner’s Office has already reported four heat-related deaths, and the summer is only starting.”

During Extreme Heat Alerts the city opens four cooling centres at Metro Hall, East York Civic Centre, Etobicoke Civic Centre and North York Civic Centre. Metro Hall is the only 24-hour centre. The centres are managed by the City of Toronto and staffed by the Red Cross. They are supposed to provide water and cots. But there are serious flaws in the city’s emergency response:

·     NO TRANSPORTATION STRATEGY: To date, the city has no protocol for transportation or TTC tickets to help people get to those life-saving centres. Those at most risk in heat alerts are those least able to get to cooling centres – elderly and disabled people, and low-income people.

·     NO FOOD, NUTRITIOUS SNACKS: The city doesn’t provide food or nutritious snacks, a serious concern since people – especially those with health concerns – may require nutrition.

·     EVEN COTS AND WATER IN SHORT SUPPLY: While the city is supposed to provide cots and water, Crowe found that when she visited the Metro Hall cooling centre on Tuesday evening that the cots were hidden away and that, before water was given out, people were asked a series of questions.

“When I visited the Metro site, I had to get two volunteers to find the cots, which were hidden under a table,” says Crowe, who is a member of Toronto’s Board of Health and a member of the Steering Committee of the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee.

“The city’s emergency response is inadequate, and Toronto’s medium and long-term plans are non-existent,” says Michael Shapcott, Research Co-ordinator for the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee. “Philadelphia’s Cool Homes is one example of an effective municipal-community partnership that is lowering the deadly heat in low-income housing. Toronto needs to plan now for future killer heat waves.”