Deltalookingatairconditionerbylaw

SANDOR GYARMATI sgyarmati@delta-optimist com

Air conditioning should be a given when it comes to new residential projects.

That’s how a motion recently put forward by Coun. Dan Boisvert can be summed up as city staff were asked to prepare a report on the feasibility of a new bylaw making air conditioning mandatory for new multi-family developments.

At their June 19th meeting, council agreed with Boisvert’s request, which also includes requiring active mechanical cooling systems in buildings that have public gatherings.

Council at that meeting also approved a series a motions to be submit- ted at the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) convention this year, including calling on the province to enact legislation to prohibit stratas and landlords from disallowing temperature controls, including portable or window air conditioners and window coverings that keep out heat, to protect the health and safety of people living in those buildings during periods of extreme heat.

The motion notes that the BC Centre for Disease Control reported that during the 2021 heat dome, most deaths occurred in private residences, and that the vast majority of those who died lacked access to air conditioners and other cooling options.

However, some stratas, landlords and co-ops have rules banning the installation and use of air conditioners and window coverings. The rationale may be the cost of increased energy usage or preserving the aesthetics of the building

“Adequate cooling in residential buildings is a growing human need as the climate continues to warm. The United Nations says that with rising heatwaves around the globe, cooling is a human right, not a luxury, and it is important that steps are taken by the provincial government to prevent stratas and landlords from implementing restrictions on cooling systems in residential properties,” the motion states.

It was in late June 2021 when British Columbia experienced an unprec- edented extreme heat event, with record temperatures in many parts of the province lasting for several days.

At its peak, temperatures reached more than 40 degrees Celsius in many parts of the province. Overnight tem- peratures also remained uncharacteristically high throughout the period. Hundreds of deaths were attributed to the heat.