Summer now means fear for some, as study shows poverty brought biggest risk of death in B.C. heat dome
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The new research from the BCCDC shows that people who died during the heat dome were more than twice as likely to receive government income assistance than a comparable sample of people who survived.
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People living below the poverty line are more likely to be disabled and to live in substandard, multi-unit housing with little control over the temperature inside, and they often don't have the resources to take emergency measures during a crisis.
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Henderson argues that there are a number of policy options governments across Canada should be considering in response to these troubling findings.
That could include improvements to building design, with additions like shutters and awnings to block out some of the heat, as well as more green spaces in urban environments. B.C. has also improved its emergency alert system to warn residents of extreme weather.
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