Opinion (Published in the Hamilton Spectator, July 17, 2026 at: (https://www.thespec.com/opinion/contributors/canada-faces-extreme-heat-and-wildfire-smoke-crisis/article_00ee9cf6-39e6-5ac1-9368-24701c837938.html)
By Kim Perrotta, July 17, 2026
Kim Perrotta has a master’s degree in health science and more than 40 years of experience working on public policies from a health perspective. She is the executive director of the Canadian Health Association for Sustainability and Equity (CHASE).
It is summer, the season all Canadians long for eight months a year, and yet I, like so many other people, am hiding out in my home. In southern Ontario, we have been living under both an “extended heat warning” and an air quality advisory.
Wednesday was the third day in a row for which temperatures have been predicted to meet or exceed 31 C with a humidex that is equal to, or greater than, 40. Stepping outside is like stepping into a sauna. While I am grieving the summers I remember from my youth, I am lucky to take refuge in a home that is cooled by a heat pump.
These weather conditions are dangerous. They can be deadly for people who do not have access to cool spaces for respite; particularly for those without homes, those living in hot apartments, and for those working outdoors or in hot indoor environments. While we do not know how many people lose their lives to extreme heat across the country each year, we know that 619 people in British Columbia died from the heat dome that descended on the province for a week in 2021.
The health risks presented by high temperatures are exacerbated by the pollution in the air. When we step outside, the sky is yellow, hazy and smells strongly of smoke. This is smoke from wildfires raging across northern Ontario where people are running for their lives from flames that are threatening their homes, livelihood and communities.
What are the health risks associated with wildfire smoke?
The Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) has been set at 10-plus for much of the week, indicating that the pollution in the air presents “a very high risk” to our health. Wildfire smoke is a toxic mixture of gases and fine particulate matter that can harm our health in many ways. Researchers have estimated that smoke from Canada’s 2023 wildfires resulted in 5,400 acute deaths and 64,000 chronic deaths in North America and Europe. More than 9,300 of those deaths would have occurred in Canada.
Among scientists, it is well understood that climate change, caused largely by the production and use of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas, is increasing the frequency and intensity of both heat waves and wildfires.
How does Canada compare to other countries in climate emissions?
Many people in Canada mistakenly believe that we are one of the good guys when it comes to climate change. But that is far from the truth. Canada has been among the top 12 emitting countries for decades. In 2022, for example, Canada was the 11th greatest emitter of climate emissions. Compared to the other G7 countries, Canada has the weakest record for emission reductions. While we have reduced our per-person emissions by about 16 per cent since 2005, the U.S. has reduced its emissions by 23 per cent and the European Union has reduced its emissions by 27 per cent.
In 2024, Canada’s major sources of climate emissions were the oil and gas sector (30 per cent) and the transportation sector (22 per cent), with buildings, heavy industry and agriculture contributing 12 per cent, 11 per cent and 10 per cent respectively. From 1990 to 2024, climate emissions from the oil and gas sector increased by 76 per cent, while emissions from the electricity sector decreased by 47 per cent, thanks largely to the phase-out of coal-fired power plants in Ontario.
With recently announced commitments to the building of new pipelines in Canada, we can expect our climate emissions from the oil and gas sector to escalate even further, along with our contribution to global climate change. While there are good reasons to welcome government investments to stimulate our economy and strengthen our independence as a country, many of us would like to see those investments directed at projects that prepare us for a healthier and more sustainable future.
Funding directed at an expanded electricity grid, renewable energies, public transit, and housing for low-income populations would create jobs and help us transition away from fossil fuels, while reducing air pollution, the cost of living, and homelessness.
It would also improve our chances of leaving our children with a liveable planet.