As a heat wave baked mainland Nova Scotia last week, some Halifax tenants found themselves improvising measures to keep air moving and sleep through nights when the weather felt like 40 C.
Miriam Williams, who lives in a downtown high-rise, said she and her husband ran six box fans simultaneously in an effort to funnel hot air out of their windows. “
There’s very, very, very little that we could do about it. It was unbearable,” she said, describing conditions she believes were especially hard on children and older residents in her building.
Calls for limits and supports
The experience has renewed calls from tenants and advocacy groups for government action. Demonstrators from the national tenant group ACORN gathered at the Halifax Common splash pad, joining similar rallies across the country to press for two main demands: enforceable indoor temperature caps for rental units, and subsidies or other financial assistance to help tenants access cooling options.
Participants say the measures are needed because many rental properties lack air conditioning and landlords may restrict window units or provide inadequate ventilation. Christian Salmeron, another rally participant, said his room remained between 28 C and 30 C during the heat wave, conditions he said made working at home and sleeping impossible. He noted that while building management hasn’t explicitly forbidden window air conditioners, none of the tenants in his building had them installed.
Municipal response and public-health concerns
Halifax municipality officials say they are examining potential approaches to address the risks posed by indoor heat. The exact measures under consideration have not been detailed publicly.
Public-health experts warn that prolonged exposure to high indoor temperatures can exacerbate chronic conditions and create dangerous situations for vulnerable groups, including young children, older adults and people with pre-existing health problems. Tenants who cannot afford air conditioning or who live in buildings without adequate ventilation are especially at risk during prolonged heat events.
How tenants coped
Accounts from residents highlight the limited options available to those without built-in cooling systems. Measures described by tenants during the heat wave included:
- Running multiple box fans to move air and create makeshift airflow
- Seeking air-conditioned public spaces to work or rest
- Attending rallies and public events to press for policy changes
One resident said the heat forced him to look for an air-conditioned workplace so he could continue working remotely; others do not have that flexibility.
What a cap might look like
Debate over an indoor temperature cap raises multiple practical and legal questions. Policymakers would need to consider:
- How to measure and enforce indoor temperature limits in individual rental units
- Responsibilities and costs for landlords versus tenants
- Exemptions for buildings where retrofitting cooling systems is infeasible
A simple comparison of reported conditions helps illustrate the gap between outdoor and indoor risk:
| Measure | Reported value |
|---|---|
| Feels-like outdoor temperature | 40 C |
| Indoor temperatures reported by tenants | 28–30 C |
| Number of box fans run by one household | 6 |
Broader context
Extreme heat events are becoming more frequent and severe in Atlantic Canada, increasing pressure on governments to update housing and public-health policy. Advocates say setting minimum protection standards for indoor environments is a logical next step to prevent heat-related illness in rental housing.
Municipal officials have said they are investigating approaches to manage indoor heat risks, but tenants and advocacy groups say they need clear, enforceable rules and financial supports rather than voluntary guidance.
What tenants can do now
While policy changes are debated, tenants coping with heat are advised to:
- Use fans to increase air movement, focusing on cross-ventilation when evenings cool
- Seek out community cooling spaces such as libraries or malls if safe and available
- Check municipal resources and tenant groups for emergency supports
As Halifax and other municipalities consider their options, residents say their lived experience during recent heat demonstrates the urgency of a response that protects those least able to adapt.
— Reporting from Halifax
