Quebecers support a right to cooling during heat waves, poll finds

MONTRÉAL — A new Léger poll has found that three-quarters of Quebecers support recognizing a so-called right to coolness that would guarantee safe places during heat waves.

Overall, 74 per cent of survey respondents said they support the Quebec government recognizing a person’s right to living conditions that include temperatures that are considered safe for human health. Sixteen per cent of respondents said they were opposed, while 10 per cent declined to say.

The results also show that 64 per cent of respondents have experienced at least one effect of extreme heat over the past three years.

Those can include headaches, sleep disturbances or breathing difficulties, as well as a need to adjust daily or work activities.

Poll respondents commonly cited preventing health problems, protecting vulnerable people and reducing pressure on the hospital system as the top reasons to take action against heat waves.

Quebec’s public health institute estimates that there were some 628 heat-related deaths in the province during the summer of 2025.

The non-profit public health association that commissioned the poll is calling on political parties to address the impacts of heat waves in their election platforms.

“In addition to causing and exacerbating health problems and chronic diseases, extreme heat — which is amplified by climate change — increases the risk of hospitalization, workplace accidents, and death,” said Cyril Frazao, director of health and climate at the Association pour la santé publique du Québec.

The Leger survey was conducted online with 1,002 respondents. Data was collected from July 10 to 21, 2026.

The polling industry’s professional body, the Canadian Research Insights Council, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population.

The poll found that 48 per cent of respondents said they’re more likely to vote in the October provincial election for a party that proposes concrete measures to address heat waves.

Frazao notes that legal recognition may eventually be necessary.

“As a long-term collective goal, we need a compass pointing toward a fundamental right, such as the right to life and protection,” he said. “This would open the door to legal action, provided it is clearly defined and well-regulated.”

He said these rights could also eventually be included in labour laws, potentially as an obligation for employers to have prevention and protection plans in place to address heat.

The Coalition québécoise pour un droit à la fraîcheur — a group the association helped launch in May — also calls for the implementation of a Quebec-wide strategy for adapting to extreme heat, which would involve health and environmental agencies, as well as other stakeholders, particularly those in the housing sector.

The association also believes that Quebec’s building code needs to be revised to better adapt to summer weather conditions.

“We want the political parties to acknowledge the responsibility that a future government must assume in recognizing the burden of heat on our systems and in reducing the strain on the health care system,” Frazao said. “Especially in Quebec, we’re seeing more and more heat waves that start earlier and end later. They’re more intense.”

Frazao said the right to a cool environment is not the same as a right to individual air conditioning.

Air conditioners, he noted, release heat outdoors, thereby exacerbating the problem. The physiological effects caused by heat exposure quickly reappear once people leave these cool areas, he said.

Air conditioners are effective — particularly for older adults, who are at greater risk — but they are a short-term solution, he said. “If we truly want living environments that are cooler for everyone, we need to consider more structural strategies that don’t release even more heat outside.”

The coalition is calling for different levels of government to invest to protect the population from heat. As an example, dedicated funds could be allocated to municipalities for land-use planning, particularly in disadvantaged neighbourhoods where tree cover is often lacking.

The concept of the right to coolness implies that every municipality should be able to provide cooler and safer spaces for all vulnerable populations, including people experiencing homelessness.

“It already exists. There are community organizations that offer cooler spaces, but it’s not enough,” Frazao said, adding that he’d like to see a map of these “climate refuges” that are accessible to everyone.

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The Canadian Press’s health coverage is supported by a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. The Canadian Press is solely responsible for this journalistic content.

Katrine Desautels, The Canadian Press