Officials in B.C. say that the province will be hit by a long heat wave early next week
The province has warned that a heat wave is coming, and B.C. Hydro says that about 360 portable air conditioners have been set up so far as part of a $10-million program that was announced six weeks ago to protect the most vulnerable people in British Columbia from extreme heat.
“Our team is working to make sure that the number of installations keeps up with demand,” said Kyle Donaldson, a spokesman for B.C. Hydro.
“We plan to install up to 1,000 units per month as part of this three-year program, and the number of these installations will keep going up from week to week.”
So far, 2,000 of the 3,000 applications for a free air conditioner have been approved, according to the public utility. As of August 4, 3,000 applications had been sent in.
On Thursday, people from the province saidB.C. was going to have unusually hot weather.Starting early next week, temperatures in some areas are expected to stay in the high 30s C for several days in a row.
Dr. Bonnie Henry, the health officer for the province, said that it won’t be nearly as hot as it was during the 2021 heat dome. However, the 619 people who died from heat-related illnesses during that time are a sobering reminder of how the climate is changing and how dangerous extreme heat can be.
“It wasn’t common for people in British Columbia to worry about heat until that terrible event in 2021,” said Henry. “[Next week’s] event is a little bit scary because it’s going to last for so long.”
On June 27, which was the two-year anniversary of the heat dome, the government and B.C. Hydro announced the free AC program.To be eligible, applicants must meet a minimum income requirement or get a recommendation from a health clinician or community health worker.
Since the program started, other problems have become clear.
Tenants who would qualify have found out that their landlord or building won’t let them have the units. Since July 9, the B.C. Hydro website has said that there will be a lot of questions about the program.
The province thinks that $10 million will be enough to buy and set up 8,000 units. B.C. Hydro couldn’t say how much money has already been spent or where the units that have been given out are.
“We want to reassure applicants that we are committed to installing these units,” said Donaldson.