Such people, Drouin explained, are those with “chronic diseases, mental health issues, people who live alone, (and) people without air conditioning who live in apartments of more than four or six stories.”

Public health officials are also encouraging Montrealers to check on their neighbours, especially if they are elderly. A spokeswoman for Public Health Minister Lucie Charlebois confirmed the latest figures today as parts of Central and Eastern Canada enveloped in heat are getting a respite with cooler temperatures. Heat warnings were in effect across southern Quebec, Ontario and the Atlantic region of the country, but temperatures were expected to drop overnight. “So the humidex index is not going to be a factor.”

Despite experiencing similarly scorching temperatures, other provinces in Central and Eastern Canada have not reported heat-related fatalities, though The Canadian Press suggests that that may be due varying jurisdictional practices in gathering such data.
As the heat wave in Quebec comes to an end, the death toll rises to 54.