Raising the Temperature on City Hall — Calgarians Demand Maximum Temperature Bylaw

Calgary ACORN and Calgary Climate Hub launched our Maximum Temperature Bylaw campaign!

Calgarians are demanding action from City Hall to protect renters from dangerous indoor heat. No one should be forced to live in unsafe temperatures during extreme heat events.

We’re calling on the City of Calgary to:

Implement a Maximum Temperature Bylaw with a maximum indoor temperature of 26°C

Enforce the bylaw through a Landlord licensing program

Create a free portable air conditioner program for low-income households

Track heat related deaths and illnesses

Now you might be thinking: Hey wouldn’t this be a provincial issue?

And ordinarily you’d be right, it would be. However, we’re not holding our breath that a province wide apartment maximum temperature rule is high on the list of priorities for Danielle Smith and the UCP and they don’t seem interested in meeting with us to discuss it.

So we’re calling on the City of Calgary to act. Extreme heat is an issue of health and safety. It’s an issue of life and death.

The City MUST enforce a maximum temperature bylaw by implementing a landlord licensing system. This would enable them to enforce health and safety standards in rental apartments. Just like they already do for fire safety.

Will the province fight this?

Maybe. Probably. Let’s find out.

Because doing nothing is unacceptable and people are going to die.

In 2021, hundreds of seniors died (mostly low income renters) during the heat dome in B.C.

Extreme heat is becoming more common, and renters — especially low-income, seniors, disabled people, and those in older buildings — are being left without protections.

New Westminster became the first city in Canada to pass a Maximum Temperature Bylaw. Calgary must follow suit.