Bill C-579, An Act to reduce the effects of urban heat islands on the health of Canadians.

 House of Commons Ottawa December 11, 2014: Ms. Isabelle Morin (Notre-Dame-de-Grace-Lacine, NDP.) "Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to rise in the House today to support the bill introduced by my colleague from Honore-Mercier (Member of Parliament Paulina Ayala, NDP). This bill would mandate the Minister of Health to establish a national strategy to reduce the negative effects of heat islands. In short, people noticed that the temperature difference from one neighbourhood to another can be as high as 12 C because of heat islands. This can increase smog and make air quality worse. For example, there is an increased demand for air conditioning and for water whether we are talking about potable water or water for swimming pools and water parks."

"My colleague conducted public consultations in her riding and discovered that constituents in her neighbourhood were very concerned. I know that she is in an area on the Island of Montreal in which there are a number of heat islands... The bill is calling for a collaboration between the federal, municipal and provincial governments in order to increase effectiveness and efficiency."

"...We are talking about the health of Canadians. The Public Health Agency of Canada said that on hot days mortality can rise by 20% in areas with heat islands. Heat islands can result in discomfort, weakness, loss of consciousness, cramps, fainting spells, heat stroke and breathing difficulties. To relay my own story, I suffer from asthma. It did not start when I was young, but when I was 25. I started having respiratory problems when I moved to Montreal...When there is a heat wave it is even worse. Nonetheless, in summer when it is hot and I am camping or somewhere at a cottage I do not have those same breathing problems. It is therefore one of the effects of the heat islands."

"This affects pretty much every big city in Canada. More and more big structures are being built including seniors' residences, condo towers and shopping centres, which all require paved parking lots."

"Ottawa's Experimental Farm is good for you, study confirms." "Urban farmland affects air quality, temperatures Carleton researchers find." CBC News, September 29, 2019.

"How hot is your 'hood'? New map takes Ottawa's temperature" by Alistair Steele, CBC News, July 2019.