Climate delegates propose HSR cooling buses as heat-related illnesses spike in Hamilton

At a Hamilton Board of Health meeting today, climate action delegates brought forward a proposal to use HSR buses for emergency heat relief.

During heat events like the one Hamilton is currently in, people are allowed to cool off in public places such as libraries, rec centres and pools free of charge.

Miriam Sager says the city is doing a lot, but one of the main concerns is how vulnerable residents get to and from those places.

“They don’t have a way to get there without putting themselves at risk,” she said.

Sager says the bus proposal differs from the city’s heat strategy last year, which saw over 1,500 HSR bus tickets given out to at-risk people so they could access cool places.

“They might not have reached everybody who would need them,” Sager said.

“People don’t know in advance that they will need it. They think, ‘I have air conditioning,’ but then there’s a power failure and they are stuck at home and have a problem.”

Matthew Lawson with Hamilton public health says so far this year there have been 15 heat warning days that have triggered a city response, meaning temperatures have been at or above 31 degrees.

In 2024, there were only 12 days that prompted a response from the city.

“We know that climate change is a real thing that is impacting this type of trend and we are seeing an increasing trend in numbers of heat related days and heat related illnesses,” he says.

Paramedic Commander Dave Thompson says there have been 144 heat-related calls since the start of 2025, compared to 122 in total last year.

“This year, it seems that they’re definitely more common,” Thompson told CHCH News.

“There are definitely more heat events and they seem to be more prolonged.”

Thompson says heat illness presents in different ways, such as shortness of breath or unconsciousness.

“Everybody is at risk of heat illness, it’s not like it affects a certain group,” he said.

“Adults, or older adults and younger children are more at risk, and those with chronic illnesses.”

City staff are set to report back to see if the HSR proposal is a feasible option for heat relief. In the meantime, Lawson says staff is also looking into an “adequate temperature bylaw” when it comes to keeping buildings cool.

READ MORE: Tips to avoid heat-related illness