Concerns raised over heat in Chilliwack amid transit strike
Posted July 7, 2023 11:26 am.
Last Updated July 7, 2023 6:36 pm.
An advocate in Chilliwack is worried that the ongoing transit strike is putting some vulnerable people at risk during extreme heat.
Patti MacAhonic is the executive director of the Ann Davis Transition Society in the city. She says earlier in the week when temperatures were in the 30s, she saw the heat take its toll on those seeking the services of the organization.
“On Tuesday, we had a couple people in particular come in who were experiencing quite severe heat-induced medical distress. They had tried to walk somewhere and ran into trouble,” she told CityNews.
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People are having to walk because buses are not running in Chilliwack due to the ongoing transit strike affecting the Fraser Valley. Virtually all transit activity has been halted since March as bus drivers remain on strike awaiting fairer wages from their employers.
When MacAhonic noticed people were struggling in the heat, she says she contacted the Chilliwack fire department, which suggested people go to a mall or library to cool down.
“Unfortunately, we have a transit strike, and there’s no way people can get to these places to get cool and people are misjudging the heat, they’re trying to walk, and they’re running into trouble,” she explained.
In one case, she says a single mother and her two young children attempted to walk a long distance to the grocery store.
“This isn’t just seniors. This is single-parent families, this is people who are working poor, low income, that depend on the bus to get to work, to get groceries,” she said.
Temperatures in the Fraser Valley, MacAhonic points out, are often much warmer than in Metro Vancouver, and fears that this the start of what could be a very warm summer.
“We’re just at the beginning of what’s projected to be a long, hot summer,” she said.
“If people don’t have a way to get somewhere in the heat, or leave their house when they’re overheating to get somewhere … we’re in trouble.”
MacAhonic says she would like to see HandyDART services added to Chilliwack for extreme heat events to give people a safer option to get around instead of walking.
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Last year, the B.C. government launched the BC Heat and Response Alert System (BC HARS) to respond to extreme temperatures.
In a statement to CityNews, the City of Chilliwack says that it follows the province’s guidance for heat events.
“When Environment and Climate Change Canada issues a Heat Warning or Extreme Heat Emergency Alert, following the BC HARS, the City will activate cooling centres and misting stations. Cooling centres operate out of City facilities in addition to public spaces such as libraries, recreation centres, and sports complexes that provide cool spaces all summer,” an email stated.
“In the most recent (May 2023) version of BC HARS, certain protocols may be modified by the provincial BC Heat Committee after the first three heat events for the summer in a given forecast region.”
As the summer and the transit strike continue, MacAhonic is urging those in Chilliwack to lend a helping hand to those in need during hotter temperatures. She suggests checking in on elderly neighbours, and offering people rides to the grocery store if possible.
-With files from John Ackermann
