Renters may face higher risk of death in extreme heat, StatCan study shows

Deaths in Canada's 12 most populous cities go up during extreme heat waves and people aged 65 and older are at higher risk than those who are younger, Statistics Canada study says.

Deaths in Canada’s 12 most populous cities go up during extreme heat waves and people aged 65 and older are at higher risk than those who are younger, says a Statistics Canada report released Wednesday.

The cities examined were: Brampton, Ont.; Calgary; Edmonton; Hamilton; Mississauga, Ont.; Montreal; Ottawa; Quebec; Surrey, B.C.; Toronto; Vancouver and Winnipeg.

Cities with larger proportions of renters had higher risks of death during extreme heat waves.

That’s in line with previous research that suggests people who rent are less likely to have air conditioning than people who own their homes, StatCan research analyst Matthew Quick said in an interview.

That elevated risk could also signal an equity issue, said Dr. Anna Gunz, an associate professor of medicine at Western University in London, Ont.

“Are rental properties also places where there might be a little bit of a green desert and people aren’t living close to trees and parks and other pieces of green space that we also know can ambiently cool the area?” said Gunz, who specializes in climate change and heat.

The study looked at daily mortality data for two decades between 2000 and 2020 and also found that the risk of heat-related deaths was higher in cities where extreme heat was less common, including Vancouver and Surrey.

Although the data can’t show cause, one possible explanation could be that those cities have fewer adaptation measures, such as air conditioning, than other cities, Quick said.