British Columbia marks five years since historic heat dome that claimed hundreds of lives

Five years after the 2021 heat dome in British Columbia, provincial officials, emergency responders, researchers, and affected residents are reflecting on the event’s legacy and the enduring vulnerabilities it exposed. Between June 25 and July 1, 2021, a mass of warm air trapped by a ridge of high pressure settled over much of B.C., producing record-breaking temperatures and leading to what the B.C. Coroners Service described as the deadliest weather event in the province’s history, with 619 heat-related deaths.

According to Dr. Bonnie Henry, the provincial health officer, most of the people who died lived alone and could not keep their homes cool. Many were older adults, people with chronic diseases, or those living in poverty or socially isolated conditions. Ninety-eight per cent of deaths occurred indoors, and lack of access to cooling was common among victims. Dr. Henry described the event as traumatic for families, overwhelming for health-care workers and first responders, and a clear signal that such events, driven by climate change, will recur.

The historic heat dome saw temperatures reach unprecedented highs across the province. On June 28, 2021, Pitt Meadows recorded 41.4°C, Vancouver International Airport reached 31.7°C, West Vancouver saw 39.2°C, and White Rock hit 38.5°C. The highest temperature ever measured in Canada was registered in Lytton at 49.6°C. The following day, Lytton was destroyed by a wildfire, which killed two people and razed most of the community. Scientists with the World Weather Attribution group concluded that the heat dome would have been virtually impossible without human-caused climate change.

The impacts were widespread and acute. Vancouver recorded 117 heat-related deaths within city limits. The City of New Westminster lost 33 residents during the event. The coroner’s review found that many decedents faced mobility and cognitive challenges, often compounded by material deprivation. The intensity of the event, coinciding with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, meant that emergency and health systems were pushed beyond previous limits.

Bobby Sekhon, a warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, said forecasters began to identify the potential for an extreme event seven to ten days in advance, with heat warnings issued to partners on June 22 and to the public on June 23. Sekhon noted that projected temperatures of 45 to 50°C in some areas of the southwest interior were previously unimaginable.

The response was hampered by lack of precedent and system overwhelm. Ambulance Paramedics of British Columbia, representing more than 6,000 paramedics and dispatchers, stated that emergency calls "surged beyond anything our health care and public safety systems had faced before." The union described round-the-clock work under extraordinary pressure, with many members carrying the emotional toll to this day. BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) reported a doubling of 911 calls at the peak, with median paramedic response times of 10 minutes 25 seconds for 54% of deaths, and in some cases, callers were placed on hold for extended periods. Holly Tally, manager of communications for the BC Coroners Service, said the system was overwhelmed and described a dramatic spike in cases requiring investigation.

Individual stories illustrate the vulnerabilities at play. Dolores Spagnolo, a 64-year-old Vancouver resident living on disability support and with multiple health conditions, died in her apartment during the event. Her daughter, Katharine Olson, described how Spagnolo’s poverty, isolation, and health challenges left her unable to access cooling, despite daily ministry check-ins. Three unused fans were found in her apartment after her death. Olson cited delays and difficulties in the aftermath, including weeks to process her mother’s remains and a year to receive the official coroner’s report. Olson said, "the world just honestly let her down over and over," but noted that all services were overwhelmed.

Another resident, Patricia, who lived alone in a West End Vancouver high-rise with a disability, described how building conditions, lack of functioning HVAC, and the inability to access safe, scent-free cooling spaces left her severely heat exhausted. She recounted being advised by family to take a taxi to hospital due to known ambulance delays and described managing her symptoms at home with ice packs and water. Patricia, who later moved to a new, more climate-adapted home, emphasized that not everyone has the resources to adapt, highlighting inequity in climate resilience.

Stories of community intervention and isolation also emerged. East Vancouver resident Alex Russell recounted helping a neighbour during the heat dome, when delayed emergency responses and compounded vulnerabilities resulted in a fatality despite intervention efforts. Russell observed that the intersection of pandemic-driven social isolation and extreme heat exacerbated risk, noting, "community connection can be a very important protective factor during extreme events."

In response to the heat dome, the province implemented several changes. Dr. Henry cited the introduction of a heat alert response system and an extreme heat preparedness guide, as recommended by the coroner’s death review. BCEHS made organizational changes, including a clinical safety plan for rapid redeployment of staff and ambulances, hiring more staff for disaster risk reduction, and adding more than 2,000 paramedic, dispatch, and emergency medical responder positions between 2017 and October 2025. Permanent staff were added to rural ambulance stations to replace on-call positions.

Municipalities also responded. New Westminster adopted a bylaw requiring landlords to keep at least one room in a rental building at or below 26°C and prohibited property owners from banning air conditioners in rental units. The city encourages property owners to conduct cooling audits and collaborate with tenants on heat mitigation. Mayor Patrick Johnstone stated, "These changes will help ensure renters have safer living conditions as extreme heat events become more common."

Researcher Alex Boston, who participated in the coroner’s death review panel, acknowledged provincial progress on some recommendations, such as the heat alert system, but urged more effort to identify and engage people most at risk, especially those living alone and indoors. Boston pointed to municipal bylaws, like New Westminster’s, as models for other jurisdictions.

Dr. Henry and BCEHS’s chief ambulance officer, Leanne Heppell, emphasized that the heat dome was not an isolated event, but indicative of climate trends that will continue to challenge health and emergency systems. Heppell said, "Since this tragedy, BCEHS has made significant organizational changes to ensure we are better prepared to respond to future heat events and other natural disasters and large scene emergencies."

The heat dome’s aftermath continues to shape B.C.’s approach to extreme weather, with ongoing efforts to address the structural vulnerabilities and systemic gaps highlighted by the event. Stakeholders consistently point to the need for sustained attention to those most at risk, both through policy and community connection, as the province prepares for a future of more frequent and intense heat events.