Item - 2022.EC30.7

The Deputy City Manager, Infrastructure and Development Services and the Deputy City Manager, Community and Social Services recommends that:

1.  The Economic and Community Development Committee receive this report for information.

At its meeting on January 21, 2022 the Economic and Community Development Committee made a number of recommendations related to emergency cooling centres, including recommending that the City:

- consider operating emergency cooling centres once again in 2022

- use data to inform the geographic locations of cooling centres

- consider if emergency cooling centres could also be used to provide shelter during other types of weather events, such as heavy rainfall and flooding

Based on environmental and jurisdictional scans as well as data on emergency cooling attendance usage, the Toronto Heat Relief Network was implemented at the direction of City Council. The Heat Relief Network is comprised of over 300 locations across Toronto that provide residents with access to space to stay cool throughout the summer, including when Environment and Climate Change Canada issues a heat warning.

The City was not able to promote the Heat Relief Network in 2020 or 2021 due to the provincial direction to implement COVID-19 public health measures that resulted in many of the Heat Relief Network sites being closed and/or operating under reduced hours. Given that these protective measures have been lifted and are not anticipated to be enacted during this year's hot weather season (from May 15 - September 30), the City is able to resume promoting the Heat Relief Network in 2022.

This report provides additional information on the City's 2022 Heat Relief Strategy, which includes the resumption of promoting the Heat Relief Network. Further, the report does not recommend that the City develop an enhanced cooling centre system as it relates to other forms of inclement weather. This report also includes a Heat Relief Strategy process flow that identifies the various City divisions as co-owners of the Heat Relief Strategy, with the Heat Relief Strategy partner's coordination residing in the Office of Emergency Management.

In response to provincially mandated facility closures associated with COVID-19, in 2020, the Office of Emergency Management added funding of $0.375 million to the program's base budget to ensure there were appropriate respite services to residents during heat alerts. As many of the Heat Relief Network sites were closed and/or operating under reduced hours, the City opened cooling centres on an emergency basis for individuals in the City to access relief from the heat until provincially mandated community closures were lifted.

As provincial restrictions have now been lifted, this report recommends that the City return to programming as previously delivered prior to COVID-19. The Office of Emergency Management will continue to utilize the funding provided for the emergency cooling centres throughout 2022 to provide support to the community for COVID -19 related needs as well as other community emergencies that may emerge. The program will review its budgetary requirements throughout the year and will consider adjusting its budget for funding that may no longer be required as part of the 2023 Operating Budget review process.

The Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer has reviewed this report and agrees with the financial impact information.