Climate Change Health Impacts across Canada

This fact sheet from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment outlines the diverse health risks posed by climate change to Canadians, including heat-related illness, respiratory diseases, and mental health impacts, while detailing specific regional vulnerabilities across Canada.

• Climate change is expected to significantly increase the frequency of extreme heat in Canada, with the number of extremely hot days potentially doubling or tripling in certain areas over the next 30 years. This increase is linked to higher mortality, particularly for older adults, socially isolated individuals, and those with chronic illnesses, and can cause or worsen conditions such as heat stroke, dehydration, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory diseases.
• Air pollution is responsible for approximately 14,400 premature deaths annually in Canada, increasing risks for strokes, heart disease, lung cancer, and respiratory disease. Climate change exacerbates these risks by creating warmer temperatures that increase ground-level ozone and longer, drier summers that increase exposure to pollen, drought-related dust, and forest fire smoke.
• Climate change is altering environmental conditions to favor the spread of vector-borne diseases, with Lyme disease cases increasing significantly in Canada over the last decade. Additionally, the depletion of the ozone layer and longer summer seasons are contributing to a rise in skin cancer and damaging sunburns due to increased UV radiation exposure.
• Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and severe in Canada, with over 195 disaster-level events reported between 2008 and 2018. These events—including wildfires, floods, and hurricanes—cause measurable deaths and infrastructure damage, while also triggering mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, and 'solastalgia' or 'eco-anxiety' resulting from the loss of home or identity.
• Health risks vary by region: Northern Canada faces rapid changes including melting permafrost and threats to food security; Atlantic Canada is prone to intense storms and sea level rise; the Prairies are susceptible to drought and heat-related illness; Quebec faces significant flood hazards and heat waves; Ontario sees increasing risks from air pollution and Lyme disease; and British Columbia faces devastating wildfire seasons and potential increases in toxic algal blooms.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (n.d.). Climate Change Health Impacts across Canada. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Module-3-Factsheet-NEW-1.pdf#new_tab

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Climate Change Health Impacts across Canada. n.d. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Module-3-Factsheet-NEW-1.pdf#new_tab.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Climate Change Health Impacts across Canada |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Module-3-Factsheet-NEW-1.pdf#new_tab |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironmentndclimate, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Climate Change Health Impacts across Canada}}, institution = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Module-3-Factsheet-NEW-1.pdf#new_tab}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }