2 years after the B.C. heat dome, Coroners Service and activists demand government change

A vigil with 619 boxes representing victims of the 2021 heat dome was held at the Vancouver Art Gallery Sunday on the two-year anniversary of the deadly weather event.

A vigil was held at the Vancouver Art Gallery Sunday marking two years since the heat dome of June 2021, one of the deadliest weather events in Canadian history.

619 boxes were carefully laid upon the gallery steps — each representing a life lost during the unprecedented heat — which persisted for days across the region.

Activists say after two years, many of the changes needed to protect people from heat disasters have yet to be implemented.

Living in comfortable temperatures is a basic right, according to organizer Derrick O’Keefe.

“98% of people died inside. That’s people dying in their own homes for no reason except the lack of political will,” O’Keefe told Global News.

A report to the B.C. Coroners Service investigated the deaths experienced from June 25 to July 1, 2021. It found elderly and vulnerable people living without air conditioning made up the majority of victims.

Nathan Davidowics is a senior who says the heat dome was tragic and is also calling on change from the government to come sooner.

“It’s not just once in 100 years, I think with climate change and everything, we’ll see more extreme weather every year,” Davidowics said.