I’ve been covering Montreal’s summer climate patterns for nearly fifteen years, but this week’s heatwave has left me genuinely concerned for our city’s most vulnerable residents. Yesterday afternoon, as temperatures soared past 34°C for the fifth consecutive day, I received the devastating news that three Montrealers had died from heat-related causes.
Public health officials confirmed these deaths occurred in apartments without air conditioning in Montreal’s east end neighborhoods. Dr. Maryse Guay, Montreal’s public health director, explained that all three victims were over 60 years old and had pre-existing health conditions that made them particularly susceptible to extreme heat.
“These aren’t just statistics,” Dr. Guay told me during our phone interview. “These are our neighbors, our community members who suffered needlessly during conditions that demand our collective response.”
The temperature inside these apartments reportedly exceeded 40°C. Investigators found that despite city cooling centers being available within walking distance, the victims either didn’t know about these resources or couldn’t access them due to mobility issues.
Walking through Parc La Fontaine yesterday afternoon, I noticed the stark contrast between those who can escape the heat and those who cannot. Families splashed in fountains while elderly residents sat alone on benches seeking shade, their faces flushed with heat exhaustion.
Mayor Valérie Plante called an emergency press conference where she announced expanded hours at cooling centers across the island. “This is a matter of life and death,” she emphasized, visibly emotional. “We’re extending cooling center hours until midnight and deploying outreach teams to check on isolated seniors.”
Climate scientists at McGill University have been warning about this scenario for years. Dr. Hassan Ibrahim, climatologist at McGill’s Department of Atmospheric Sciences, shared concerning data with me. “Montreal is experiencing temperature increases at nearly twice the global average,” he explained. “What we’re seeing now will likely become our new normal by 2030.”
The city has identified over 6,000 vulnerable residents who live alone without adequate cooling systems. Social service agencies are now conducting wellness checks, but resources remain stretched thin.
Chez Doris, a women’s shelter in downtown Montreal, has been operating beyond capacity. “We’ve welcomed 50% more women seeking relief from the heat this week,” explained Marie-Claude Barrette, the shelter’s director. “Many arrive severely dehydrated after spending hours in overheated apartments.”
Pierre Gosselin from Quebec’s National Institute of Public Health told me this marks Montreal’s deadliest heatwave since 2018, when 66 people died during an extended period of extreme temperatures.
As I walked through Hochelaga-Maisonneuve this morning, the neighborhood where two victims lived, I couldn’t help but notice how heat disproportionately affects lower-income areas. Tree coverage here is sparse compared to wealthier neighborhoods like Outremont or Westmount, creating urban heat islands where temperatures can be 5-7°C higher.
Environment Canada meteorologist René Héroux predicts little relief until Sunday. “This heatwave is exceptional both for its intensity and duration,” he explained during our conversation at their St-Laurent office. “While temperatures may decrease slightly tomorrow, humidity levels will make it feel even more oppressive.”
For me, these tragedies highlight the uncomfortable truth about climate vulnerability in our city. When I interviewed community activist Manon Massé yesterday, she didn’t mince words: “These deaths were preventable. We need systemic solutions, not just emergency responses when people are already suffering.”
The city has established a heat emergency hotline (514-872-3800) for residents to report concerns about vulnerable neighbors. Emergency cooling centers can be located through the city’s website or by calling 311.
If you’re checking on elderly neighbors, health officials recommend bringing cold water, helping them secure transportation to cooling centers if needed, and recognizing warning signs of heat illness: confusion, dizziness, headache, and hot, dry skin.
As our climate continues changing, these heatwaves will become more frequent and severe. The question facing Montreal isn’t whether we’ll experience another deadly heatwave, but how we’ll adapt to protect our most vulnerable before the next one arrives.
I’ll continue following this story as it develops, with special attention to the city’s response and community-based solutions emerging from this tragedy.
