Less than five years after more than 600 people died in the Lower Mainland as the result of 2021’s heat Dome event, a measure that protects vulnerable people from the heat is already being rolled back.
“We can definitely afford to be paying for life saving measures that could be crucial this summer,” said Lucy Maloney, Vancouver city councillor.
Ahead of what’s forecasted to be one of the hottest summers on record, the City of Vancouver quietly cut funding to a program that provided cooling kits to vulnerable people.
“Research shows that the people who died in the heat Dome were elderly people, disabled people, people in poorer areas of the city. It’s really important that we take the steps we know protect people from excess heat,” said Maloney.
Maloney, a Vancouver city councillor with one city, says the move signals a shift in priority, which could have serious consequences.
“Now we’re just going to be responding to heat emergencies and it could be too late. The time we get ourselves organized to distribute cooling kits around the city where they’re most needed.”
In a statement, the city said it’s prioritizing the safety of all residents and has assessed the most effective use of resources for heat mitigation during summer months, adding that it’s focusing on sustainable, community centred options for the public by activating and promoting civic facilities as cooling centres during heat events. In addition, it’s been improving access to water misters and other cooling infrastructure throughout the city.
It comes in the wake of Mayor Ken Simms 0 Mean Zero budget, which froze property taxes for the year but required staff to find significant savings elsewhere. That’s resulted in cuts to key services that Vancouverites rely on, which almost included lifeguards at the city’s beaches.
“Failing to recognize the significance of public safety was the main concern of most people,” said Tom Digby, chair of the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation.
The city director of the Parks Board to create $15 million in savings and when the board’s budget came back, $600,000 worth of lifeguards weren’t part of it. ABC counselors maintained that the zero means zero budget wasn’t to blame and any fault laid with the Parks Board for not prioritizing its services correctly.
“Public made it loud and clear to us that they really do expect services. They’re the way there has been for decades and indeed over 100 years,” said Digby.
On Friday, the Parks Board announced that funding for lifeguards at 9 beaches will be continued on a one-year basis, which represents a major relief to folks who want to cool off in the water safely.
But even so, with memories of the heat Dome still fresh, those outside of the ABC council majority worry that striking out budget lines could cost lives.
“There’s less and less money for the measures that we need to be taking, both short term and long term, to keep our most vulnerable residents safe during extreme heat events,” said Maloney.