Ontario's chief coroner has confirmed that his office is investigating three deaths as potentially tied to the recent extreme heat that has gripped much of the province. The deaths were first reported to the coroner's office within the past four days, Dr. Dirk Huyer told reporters during a teleconference Tuesday afternoon. Huyer could not confirm where the deaths occurred and said it may take "a number of weeks — but more typically a number of months — until all the testing is done," in order to reach a definitive conclusion about the cause of death. The announcement comes as the Quebec government warns that up to 70 people may have died across that province in connection with the extreme and persistent heat, which began days before Canada Day. Defining 'heat-related' deaths Asked to explain the discrepancy between the number of deaths recorded in Ontario compared to Quebec, Huyer says it likely reflects a different understanding of what qualifies as a heat-related death. Many of the deaths reported in Quebec may be cases of people who suffered from chronic diseases — such as cancer, lung disease or a heart condition — made worse by the extreme heat, Huyer said. In contrast — and in accordance with provincial laws — the Ontario coroner's office is not notified of deaths that are deemed to be "natural." "What we would investigate would be accidental deaths that are directly associated with heat, as opposed to [deaths resulting from] a natural disease process," Huyer said. "The ones that we do investigate would be deaths that would be more typically accidental, and so they would be situations of heat stroke, when somebody dies from the direct effects of heat." These cases include, for example, the three-year-old boy who was found dead in Burlington, Ont., in May, after apparently being left in an overheated car. Lengthy process Huyer says it can take months for his office to determine the cause of death, as coroners perform autopsies before reaching their conclusion. "We want to get the highest quality and the best answers possible for the family members, the community, for public health efforts as well as many other reasons," he said. Although Environment Canada lifted its extreme heat alerts in several cities across Ontario, temperatures are again expected to rise and remain in place for several days across large parts of the province.<doc-sep>Health officials in Central Canada are urging the population to find ways to stay cool after dozens of deaths struck the country's two most populous provinces during a recent heat wave. The latest deaths follow a major heat wave that has struck large parts of North America. Scientists say that the intense heat and other extreme weather events are becoming more frequent due to the burning of fossil fuels and other human activity that contribute to climate change. "These events...seem to be happening more frequently," said David Williams, Ontario's chief medical officer during a conference call with reporters. "The temperature extremes are going to be more and the (duration of these events) will be more challenging." Get top stories in your inbox. Our award-winning journalists bring you the news that impacts you, Canada, and the world. Don't miss out. As many as 70 people have died in Quebec – most of whom in Montreal – due to heat in the past weeks, as temperatures rose above 40 Celsius with the humidex. Ontario officials are also investigating at least three deaths, but explained that others could have occurred which were not reported. "We certainly know in Ontario that heat and cold do affect those with chronic illness and it's important that we remember that and we focus ourselves on those that have chronic illness, who are thought of, remembered, checked on," said Dirk Huyer, the province's chief coroner. He added that it was important to ensure vulnerable people had the opportunity to remain safe and well-supported during extreme weather events. "I think that is the priority that we should be focusing on, that people are in a good, safe place," he added. Merry Dairy's water spraying fan in is a hit for Owen Pulfer, who dropped by to get some ice cream with his grandparents to cool off on this scorching afternoon, in the Hintonburg neighbourhood of Ottawa, on Thursday July 5th, 2018. Photo by Alex Tétreault Population at risk even after enduring several days of heat Health officials in Quebec have warned the population that people could be at risk of health problems even after enduring several days of heat, The Canadian Press reported on July 6. "These events...seem to be happening more frequently," said David Williams, Ontario's chief medical officer during a conference call with reporters. Ontario was tracking lower numbers of deaths than Quebec, possibly due to its criteria. Ontario only considers a death to be heat-related, in its statistics, if the heat was a direct or major cause. Huyer said that emergency room data may offer a better picture of the public health of Ontarians during a heat wave. “That is more powerful as far as a larger amount of information than would be knowing the individual number of deaths,” said Huyer. Huyer said that the number of deaths counted by Quebec officials would include individuals with a chronic illness that would leave them vulnerable to heat, exacerbating an existing condition. “Most of those are not reported to us,” said Huyer of fatalities that occur during extreme heat or cold where a preexisting illness was likely at play. “They would be cases that would be recognized more typically as natural and therefore would not be investigated.” He cited heart disease, lung disease, and cancer as types of illnesses they likely would not be tasked with investigating.<doc-sep>Send this page to someone via email The number of deaths linked to the current heat wave in Quebec stood at 33 on Thursday, according to public health officials, with 18 of those concentrated in Montreal and its suburbs. Meanwhile, in Ontario, where the heat has been just as oppressive and relentless over the last five days, the official tally still sits at zero. That may lead to the conclusion that Quebecers are somehow more vulnerable to extreme temperatures, but experts and publicly available statistics suggest that it’s more complicated than that. First — and perhaps most importantly — Quebec is somewhat different in how it records heat-related deaths. The province’s extreme heat plan allows health officials to work in tandem with first responders and emergency rooms to quickly track down potential cases of heat-related illnesses and deaths, according to officials. 0:48 Summer is hot — here is what you should know about surviving summer heat Summer is hot — here is what you should know about surviving summer heat – Jul 5, 2018 ABOVE: Dr. Richard Rusk explains the symptoms of heat exhaustion, and who is most at risk. READ MORE: Looking for a place to keep cool during the heat wave? In Ontario, it takes much longer to associate a death directly with the heat. Story continues below advertisement “A thorough death investigation conducted by our office takes time to complete and we endeavour to provide confirmed information as opposed to speculative information,” said Cheryl Mahyr, a spokesperson for the coroner’s office in Ontario. “At this time, we are unable to confirm any deaths recently reported to our office for investigation are due to the current heat wave.” Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "At this time, we are unable to confirm any deaths recently reported to our office for investigation are due to the current heat wave." That doesn’t mean there haven’t been any, however. Not even the number of emergency department visits tied to the current heat wave is available yet in Ontario. That data won’t be released until August, said a spokesperson for the health ministry. Lifesaving AC The high concentration of deaths in Montreal, in particular, may also be tied to access to air conditioning, especially in private homes. As the heat wave stretches on, the elderly, the very young, those with chronic health issues and those dealing with drug or alcohol addiction have a much harder time keeping their body temperatures down. The longer the heat wave, the more dangerous it becomes. READ MORE: By 2100, 75% of the world’s population will face deadly heatwaves Air conditioning units can mean the difference between life and death for these vulnerable populations, said Dr. David Kaiser of Montreal’s public health department, and not a single one of the people who died in Montreal this week (as of Wednesday) had an AC unit in their home. In some of their apartments, temperatures had spiked to over 40 C. Story continues below advertisement “At 46 C you’re not going to last long,” Kaiser said. Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "At 46 C you're not going to last long," Kaiser said. Kaiser estimated that about 60 per cent of his city’s households have AC, whether it be a window unit or central air. “But that varies from around 40 per cent in certain neighbourhoods in the central part of the city, to 80 or 90 per cent in certain suburban neighbourhoods,” he said, adding that unfortunately, Montreal’s most vulnerable people tend to live in the hottest downtown zones with the least access to air conditioning. Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "But that varies from around 40 per cent in certain neighbourhoods in the central part of the city, to 80 or 90 per cent in certain suburban neighbourhoods," he said, adding that unfortunately, Montreal's most vulnerable people tend to live in the hottest downtown zones with the least access to air conditioning. In Toronto, things look a bit different. A survey conducted in 2010 by the city’s public health department revealed that overall, 85 per of Toronto residents had access to air conditioning in their home. Again, that statistic differed between districts and the most vulnerable people tended to have less access to cooling systems, but even the neighbourhood with the least number of air conditioned households (Parkdale/Bloor West) had far more AC-cooled households (77 per cent) than Montreal. On a provincewide level, the most recently available data reflects this same disparity. It suggests that just 42 per cent of Quebec’s households have an air conditioning system, compared to 74 per cent of Ontario’s. Signs of heat stroke and what to do Early signs of heat stroke include fatigue, difficulty concentrating and dizziness. Here are a few ways to avoid getting ill: Story continues below advertisement Drink plenty of water, even before you feel thirsty Limit alcohol intake Stay in the shade when possible Cut back on activities that require effort Wear a hat and sunscreen Wear lightweight clothing, preferably cotton, to allow sweat evaporation Elderly people should avoid going out, especially if they are on medication If you think you are suffering from heat-related illness: Seek shelter or a cool place, rest and drink water If possible, use a fan to create air movement Use blinds or shades to filter direct sunlight — With files from Rachel Lau, Mike Armstrong and the Canadian Press<doc-sep>ONTARIO | Oppressive July Heat and Thunderstorm Risk Powerful storms break Ontario's sweltering heat...for now Find Your Forecast Search for a location Digital writers theweathernetwork.com Thursday, July 5, 2018, 12:47 PM - Relief from the heat is in sight Ontario as we look ahead to the weekend. Here's what to expect, and when forecasters expect a pattern change. WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS: Heat warnings still in effect, feeling over 40 degrees Heat, humidity build again next week, but not to the same extent as the current heat (RELATED: Five horrible things extreme heat does to the human body) ONTARIO CONTINUES TO BAKE Heat warnings remain in effect for all of southern Ontario and the Nickel Belt, as the most intense heat event in years continues for yet another day. "Temperatures are expected to be in the low to mid thirties with Humidex values likely to reach near forty again today," Environment Canada says. "Overnight low temperatures are expected to be in the low twenties, except high teens in some rural areas, providing little or no relief from the heat." (Stay on top of severe weather in your area | Our national alerts page) MORE HEAT THEN PATTERN CHANGE<doc-sep>
Ontario health officials are investigating three deaths that may have been the result of a powerful heat wave that drove temperatures as high as 40 C, but it will take weeks to months to get a clear answer. That number is small compared to the dozens of potential heat-related deaths in Quebec, where as of Monday, up to 70 people may have died as a result of complications related to the hot weather. The difference is that Ontario has a stricter definition of what constitutes a heat-related death, Ontario’s chief coroner Dr. Dirk Huyer explained Tuesday. In Quebec, a death is deemed heat-related even if a person has a pre-existing chronic condition, such as a respiratory disease, that may be exacerbated by severe heat. Earlier this week, health officials in Montreal said that most of the heat-related deaths were the result of chronic illnesses. In Ontario, only “accidental” deaths where heat is believed to be the sole factor -- such as a child being left alone in a hot car – are investigated as heat-related. “So our definition, what we would investigate, would be accidental deaths that are directly affected by the heat as opposed to a natural disease process,” Huyer explained in a media conference call. “We are not notified of deaths that are deemed natural.” All three Ontario deaths occurred in last the four days, but Huyer would not say exactly where, citing privacy concerns. In each case, an investigation has been launched to determine whether heat was the primary cause of death. Those investigations could take weeks to months because investigators need to collect a wide range of evidence. Interviews with family members, an autopsy and analysis of medical records are part of the process. “And sometimes when the initial tests are done, there may be more tests that may be done from that,” Huyer said. Temperatures in the mid-30s have gripped large parts of Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada in the past week, but humidex values have often made those conditions feel even hotter. Environment Canada called the weather the “most significant heat event in the past few years.” The heat wave was so intense that a stretch of highway near Windsor, Ont. buckled on July 1. On Parliament Hill, only 6,000 people turned out for the annual Canada Day lunchtime show as the humidex value at the Ottawa airport reached a record-setting 47 C. In Montreal, morgues have become so overcrowded that the coroner’s office has partnered with a local funeral home to house the influx of bodies. Officials estimate that more than 15 bodies arrive almost every day. In Ontario, hospital visits linked to the heat have spiked, according to Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health. The increase peaked on Canada Day and eventually returned to baseline levels on July 7. People need to take extreme heat warnings seriously, Huyer said, and make a point of checking on family members and friends who may be more vulnerable. Huyer said he’s concerned that the length and severity of heat waves could worsen in years to come due to climate change. “We need to take this seriously because these events seem to be happening more frequently,” he said.