B.C.’s Seniors Advocate warning vulnerable populations as hot weekend nears for Metro Vancouver

Despite the high temperatures expected this weekend, B.C.’s Seniors Advocate says there’s a difference between a heat wave and a heat emergency.

“A heat emergency means a sustained high level of heat over a series of days. So it’s not one hot day or a day that cools down in the evenings. This is a sustained high heat. And there’s going to be some places that are simply not safe for the period of time at these high heats. And that’s certainly what we found last summer,” Isobel Mackenzie says.

But now, she says going into this year’s summer, the questions is, how can the province ensure vulnerable British Columbians be moved to a cooler area?

With a heat wave expected weekend, for vulnerable populations, like seniors, she recommends saying out of the heat and wearing a hat, hydrating and applying sunscreen.

“Make sure the blinds and windows are closed in the heat of the day and make sure you open them in the evening,” she adds. “Families make sure you check on people.”

When checking in, she also says it’s important to physically go and check on your loved ones… as seniors have a hard time regulating their body temperature and the room could be warmer than expected.

Mackenzie says she is in contact with the province to create an effective evacuation plan for senior and other vulnerable folk.

Last year, the June heatwave in B.C. claimed hundreds of lives, making it the deadliest weather event in Canadian history.

– With files from Claire Fenton