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to cooling may not be available or limited.  Our program will advance innovative heat-mitigation solutions including guidance on building and urban design, public cooling centers that will improve quality of life and save lives during extreme heat.

A HEALTH PERSPECTIVE

Rising temperatures is not just an environmental and economic threat; it is also a threat to public health.  Extreme heat will make existing health conditions worse and increase costs to Ontario's health system and economy.  Children, the elderly, the sick and low-income groups will represent the highest heat health care costs.

The threat to public health:

• The number of days above the heat threshold will increase by 1.5 times in Ontario by 2050.
• Heat-related hospitalization rates in Ontario will increase by 21%.
• The costs of death and reduced quality of life from heat-related deaths are projected to range from $3.0-3.9 billion per year.
• Impacts on mental health could be among the costliest.  For example, anxiety is estimated to cost $17 billion per year.

With appropriate heat mitigation strategies, Ontario could save $50 billion over the next 50 years.