Premier John Horgan: create a provincial heat response plan now

The heat dome that blanketed BC last summer took the lives of nearly 619 people. The BC Coroner’s Report released last week showed that most were elderly and chronically-ill, living in buildings without air conditioning. [1]

The report issued three clear recommendations for how to prepare for future heat waves: 1) to identify and support our vulnerable neighbours by checking in on them and providing them with cooling devices, 2) to create a coordinated heat alert response system, and 3) to undertake long-term planning to build homes and communities equipped to deal with warmer weather. [2]

But with summer just around the corner and the threat of climate-induced heat waves looming, the BC government is still dragging its feet. Vancouver council made recommendations and is taking some actions [3]. More is necessary.

The Human Rights Watch has put the onus on Horgan’s government to avoid replicating the deadly mistakes of this past summer [4] — but he’ll keep delaying unless we turn up the heat (the other kind - solidarity and collective action!).

If we flood Horgan with thousands of messages calling on him to IMMEDIATELY implement all three of the BC Coroner’s Report’s recommendations, it could be enough to force him to act.