Extreme heat blankets Ontario through Canada Day weekend; vulnerable populations at greatest risk

Orange heat warnings are blanketing Ontario as temperatures soar to 37°C, with the hottest conditions expected today and Thursday, July 2. Minimum temperatures of 21 to 25°C will provide little relief from the heat, according to Environment Canada. Northern Ontario cities including Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins, and Thunder Bay could see temperatures up to 33°C with humidex values near 40.

Vulnerable populations face the greatest risk during the heat wave. People experiencing homelessness, the elderly, and those living alone with minimal outside connections are at heightened danger. Keith Hambly, CEO of Fred Victor, a Toronto-based organization providing shelter and housing services, says people on medication face extra risks since many prescriptions are meant to be taken in temperature-controlled settings. "If you're constantly outside taking those medications, it can impact people very severely," he said.

Fred Victor has deployed a "Keep Cool" outreach team that checks on unhoused residents at known hot spots across Toronto, including parks and areas near shelters, distributing water and sunscreen. The team can also point people toward free cooling spaces run by the city and other agencies.

Hambly noted that chronically homeless individuals often face "premature aging," meaning health conditions more typical of someone decades older, including diabetes and heart issues. The recent closure of supervised consumption sites in Ontario has also left people who once used drugs under supervision now doing so on the street. Combined with an increasingly toxic drug supply, experts say the impact of extreme heat on people using drugs outdoors remains unclear.

Health experts advise anyone spending time outdoors to limit alcohol consumption, as it increases dehydration and raises the risk of heat-related illness such as heatstroke.