B.C. Coroner investigating 3 potential heat-related deaths

No specifics including the age of the deceased or their location have been released.

All three deaths were reported this summer

Karin Larsen · CBC News · Posted: Jul 24, 2023 5:22 PM EDT | Last Updated: July 24, 2023

Three people stand by the Vancouver docks with containers behind them, with the ocean and mountains as a background. One of the drinks from a can. — A man drinks a beer at Crab Park during the May 2023 heat wave in Vancouver. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press)

The B.C. Coroners Service is investigating whether excessive heat was a factor in three recent deaths.

All three deaths were reported sometime this summer, according to Ryan Stanton, the BCCS manager of strategic communications and media relations. He stressed that "the information is preliminary and subject to change as our work continues and investigations are completed."

No specifics, including the age of the deceased or their locations, have been released.

An early heat wave in May, followed by above-average temperatures in June and July, has led to the issuing of multiple heat warnings across the province, along with a record wildfire season.

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The dangers of excessive heat were brought into sharp focus after 619 people died in the 2021 B.C. heat dome.

The elderly and those with low incomes or suffering from chronic medical conditions were found to be the most at risk during the June 25 to July 1 event that saw temperatures spike well above 40 C in many B.C. communities, including the village of Lytton, which registered the hottest temperature ever in Canada at 49.6 C before burning to the ground in a wildfire the following day.

With global warming driving increased instances of extreme heat, public bodies are being forced to react to the knock-on dangerous health effects and infrastructure deficiencies.

Two people sit on the shore of a large lake directly across from a city skyline partially obscured by haze. — People cool off at Kelowna City Park amid a heat wave and wildfire smoke. (Winston Szeto/CBC)

A recent study by the Canadian Climate Institute said extreme heat could kill 1,370 people and send 6,000 to hospital each year by 2030 if B.C. doesn't adapt its essential infrastructure.

It also found intense heat waves could cost the province around $100 million in health care and more than $12 billion in life lost annually over the same time frame.

Why air conditioners can be a problematic solution to extreme heat

Last month the province announced a $10 million program to provide 8,000 free air conditioners to elderly, vulnerable and low-income residents in British Columbia. The program will be administered by B.C. Hydro starting this year and lasting for three years.

Last year the B.C. Coroners Service reported 16 heat-related deaths during a nine-day heat wave from July 26 to Aug. 3.