Mitigating Urban Heat in Canada, May 3, 2010
 
In 2009 the Clean Air Partnership gathered information about UHIE reduction measures from 36 communities in 10 provinces. The selection of communities for review was based on population size, average July maximum temperature and geography, in an effort to provide a national perspective. Details of existing and proposed UHIE reduction measures were obtained through email correspondence, telephone interviews and a review of publically available on-line documents. 

Not many departments within municipal governments are mandated to deal with the UHIE issue. In fact, very few current activities that reduce the UHIE have heat reduction as a main goal. Rather, air and surface temperature reductions, when considered at all, are regarded as co-benefits from an activity designed to achieve some other goal. Nevertheless, UHIE reduction does occur as a result of programs and activities of a range of municipal divisions and departments including planning, buildings, water and utilities, parks and recreation, corporate services and public health.

This report summarizes the wide range of UHIE reduction measures and implementation strategies found in the communities included in this scan. As climate continues to change and heat episodes increase, reducing the UHIE will become increasingly important. The aim of this report therefore, is to provide municipalities and other interested parties with greater knowledge of the urban heat island effect and options for reducing it.