B.C. expands heat pump rebate program as highs up to 40 C forecast in Interior
British Columbia residents are being told to brace for a coming heat wave that could send temperatures into the high 30s and beyond, with the government reminding people to check in on their neighbours.
The heat will start on Vancouver Island and move east across the province, hitting the Interior over the later part of the weekend, Environment Canada warning preparedness meteorologist Armel Castellan said Wednesday.
The forecast for Kamloops shows daytime highs of 40 C next Monday and Tuesday, which would be enough to trigger a heat warning.
Castellan said that as a ridge of high pressure made its way across B.C., the high temperatures and clear, sunny days were likely to raise the wildfire risk.
Energy Minister Josie Osborne said people should know where to retreat to find cool places in their home or in public such as cooling centres, air-conditioned buildings and outdoor water misting stations.
She said people in income-qualified households could also apply to a BC Hydro program offering free portable air conditioners.
"One of the most important messages to give British Columbians is to look out for your neighbours, for family, for friends, and to help them," Osborne said at a news conference about the expansion of a rebate program to encourage more people to buy heat pumps.
Under the expansion, a family of four making less than $87,350 would be eligible for a $16,000 rebate on a heat pump, up from $9,500. The pre-tax income threshold for up to $10,500 in rebates is also being raised to $185,620 for a family of four with two adults and two children, up from $114,647.
The government says average heat-pump installation costs between $8,000 and $19,000. The devices can cool a home in summer and warm it in winter.
Castellan said B.C.'s temperatures could begin cooling by next Wednesday, but as the ridge moves on to the Prairies, there will be the potential for dry lightning in B.C. as the province heads into what is typically the hottest, driest stretch of summer.
Castellan said the difference between the upcoming heat wave and the deadly heat dome in summer 2021 is that temperatures next week aren't expected to surpass heat-warning criteria by such large margins.
"It's a long-duration event, there's no doubt about that," he said of the forecast.
"But the impact on human health isn't as extreme as when the temperatures get into this 45 (Celsius) and beyond degrees, particularly for the hottest places in the southwest Interior," he said in an interview.
The BC Coroners Service said there were 619 heat-related deaths during B.C.'s 2021 heat-dome event, when temperatures soared above 40 C in many communities from June 25 to July 1.
A wildfire that killed two people on June 30, 2021, in the Fraser Canyon community of Lytton occurred a day after the village of about 200 people experienced Canada's hottest recorded temperature of 49.6 C.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 3, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6951886.1720127955!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
ANALYSIS Why are Trudeau and Singh avoiding Stampede this year?
This year, only Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre will be saddling up for the event, while both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh will stay away.
'Dead to me': Alberta transgender teen takes action after being deadnamed in yearbook
He was graduating from high school this summer, ready for life's next chapter, when he opened his yearbook to see that he and other transgender students at Foothills Composite High School in Okotoks, Alta., had been deadnamed.
Saskatoon driver accused of causing a fatal crash did not have a driver’s licence, police say
Saskatoon police say the man accused of causing a crash that killed one woman and injured three others last month, did not have a valid driver’s license.
Juror dismissed for falling asleep during testimony at Coutts murder-conspiracy trial
One of the jurors hearing evidence in the murder-conspiracy trial surrounding the border blockade at Coutts, Alta., has been dismissed for falling asleep in the courtroom.
Canada's Davies scores shootout penalty to bury World Cup demons
Canada captain Alphonso Davies banished memories of his penalty miss at the 2022 World Cup by confidently converting a spot-kick in a shootout victory over Venezuela in the Copa America quarter-finals on Friday.
Everything Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said publicly about Donald Trump
While Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took a measured tone when talking about Donald Trump during his first presidency, the Canadian leader has been a little more direct since. As we head closer to a U.S. election this fall, CTVNews.ca takes a look at everything Trudeau has said publicly about the presumptive Republican nominee.
N.B. man denied flight due to tear in passport’s seam
What seemed to be a minor passport issue turned into a major problem for a New Brunswick man who was denied a boarding pass from Air Canada.
More records expected to shatter as long-running blanket of heat threatens 130 million in U.S.
Roughly 130 million people were under threat Saturday and into next week from a long-running heat wave that already has broken records with dangerously high temperatures — and is expected to shatter more from East Coast to West Coast, forecasters said.
Here are some safety tips if you're traveling alone this summer
Though traveling by yourself can be scary and intimidating, there are some ways to make sure you’re safe and have a good time, says a solo travel and content creator from Ottawa.