Temperature Rising: A Scoring Tool to Assess Extreme Heat Preparedness in Canadian Municipalities
By Caroline Metz, Kim Perrotta, and Dr. Anabela Bonada
November 2026
The report, Temperature Rising: A Scoring Tool to Assess Extreme Heat Preparedness in Canadian Municipalities, highlights extreme heat as an increasingly urgent and potentially deadly climate risk in Canada, with heat waves becoming more frequent, longer, and more intense as the climate warms.
Because municipalities are on the front lines of protecting residents, the report introduces an Extreme Heat Preparedness Scoring Tool to help municipalities assess their current level of preparedness, identify gaps, prioritize actions, and track progress over time.
The tool evaluates preparedness across eight key areas: governance; assessing heat health risk; heat alerts, communication and training; community mobilization and response; green infrastructure; existing buildings; new buildings and properties; and urban design.
The report emphasizes that effective heat resilience requires coordinated action across municipal departments, public health, governments, community organizations, housing providers, the private sector, and residents, with particular attention to populations most vulnerable to heat.
Ultimately, the tool is intended to help municipalities move from awareness to proactive, coordinated, measurable, and equitable action to reduce heat exposure, protect health, and save lives.