2021 British Columbia heat wave found income assistance recipients had 2.4x higher death risk.

A study on British Columbia's 2021 heat dome reveals that the most significant risk factor linked to death during the heat wave was receiving income assistance. Researchers at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control found that the prevalence of low income was 2.4 times higher among those who died compared to survivors. The heat event resulted in 619 deaths, as reported by a 2022 B.C. coroner's report.