To protect people from the summer heatwaves, the New Westminster City Council, located near Vancouver, unanimously passed a new ordinance on March 30.
The ordinance now requires landlords of rental apartments to maintain an average room temperature of 26°C or below in at least one room within a unit from 8 PM to 8 AM the following morning. Speaking to the city council about the new ordinance, Nadine Nakagawa mentioned the 2021 heatwave (heat dome), stating that heat domes are possible again in the future, and that “the most dangerous places should not be people’s homes.”
At the end of June 2021, British Columbia (BC) was hit by an unprecedented heat dome. Temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius were recorded in many areas, and high temperatures continued even at night. According to the BC Coroner’s Office, 619 people died in the heatwave, including 33 in the city.
According to City Councillor Nakagawa, many of the deceased in the city lived in older rental housing, and it was the area with the highest death toll per capita during the heat dome event. The new ordinance allows landlords to be fined up to $750 if they fail to maintain a safe room temperature. However, there is no deadline set for taking the necessary measures.