With climate change, extreme heat events are happening more and becoming longer and hotter. During the 2021 heat dome, the City of New Westminster and surrounding communities experienced abnormally high temperatures that led to over 600 people passing away across BC. New Westminster had the highest deaths per capita in the province.
This devastating event prompted Council to prioritize action on extreme heat, including the design of programs and policies to protect New Westminster residents from extreme heat, while aligning with Community Energy and Emissions Plan 2050 objectives.
This webpage showcases work being done across the City to address Extreme Heat risks to community members.
Stay Cool at Home Kit Program
The Stay Cool at Home kits help New Westminster tenants stay cool and safe during hot weather. The cooling kits include:
- an insulated bag,
- water bottle,
- face mister,
- cooling towels,
- reuseable wearable ice packs,
- thermometer and
- an information package containing documents on managing extreme heat risks as well as the location of public cooling facilities.
All rental tenants in New West can apply for a kit. Kits are available on a first come, first served basis. The kits can be picked up from City Hall.
Cooling Regulations for Rental Buildings
Since the 2021 heat dome, departments across the City have been working to introduce regulations and policies to address extreme heat risks.
The Business Regulations and Licensing Bylaw No. 6926, 2004 (PDF) is the key regulatory framework that governs rental buildings within the City. Since 2025, two amendments were made to help to facilitate cooling interventions and to protect tenants.
| Date Adopted | Amendment |
|---|---|
| May 2025 | Prohibits property owners from preventing the use of cooling devices (e.g., portable/window air conditioners) in rental units. |
| June 2026 | Requires property owners to maintain safe indoor temperatures of an average of 26°C in at least one living space of a rental unit. Any active or passive cooling solutions and their combinations that meet the standard are acceptable |
To learn more, please visit the Rental Units Cooling Bylaw webpage.
Why Rental Buildings?
Extreme heat can affect all types of buildings and people from all walks of life. To help guide its initial efforts, the City conducted research to identify which building types should be prioritized for support. Rental buildings were selected as the starting point for the vulnerable buildings assessment for the following reasons:
- There is a high concentration of rental buildings within City limits
- There are limited support programs available for rental buildings
- Available programs, such as the Rental Apartment Retrofit Accelerator, have eligibility requirements that result in a number of unsupported buildings in the City
- To enhance tenant ability to create comfortable and safe spaces within their homes
- To undertake and deliver an equitable program that supports all rental building and tenant profiles
