Cooling centres for heat resilience
Guidance, costing and examples for municipalities
CLIMATE ADAPTATION
Accessible cooling saves lives during extreme heat events. Cooling centres are designated facilities where residents can find relief from extreme heat, typically offering air conditioning, hydration and rest spaces.
They increase resilience by protecting heat-sensitive populations from heat-related illness, reducing health system strain and providing safe gathering places during heatwaves. In small and rural communities, cooling centres are especially critical where home air conditioning is limited or for residents who live alone.
Key steps for successful implementation
- Find appropriate facilities: Identify existing community facilities (e.g., community halls, libraries, recreation centres) that are suitable for use as cooling centres
- Determine operational requirements: Consider hours, staffing and occupational limits
- Procure supplies and equipment: Stock up on items such as fans, water, seating and first-aid kits
- Develop a public communication plan: Ensure there is a broad communication strategy to notify residents of locations and hours
- Implement in partnership: Coordinate with local organizations and volunteers to support operations and outreach (this may include providing resources for support organizations to extend their facility and service hours)
Best practices for design and delivery
- Design cooling centres to be engaging: Provide activities, food, games, entertainment and amenities (e.g., Wi-Fi, seating, beds, books, radios, TVs, headphones and children’s toys) to enhance comfort and create a space that people want to stay in
- Provide clear information: Communicate broadly about cooling centre location, hours, transportation options and amenities; ensure messaging is culturally relevant and use multiple languages (as needed) to reach diverse audiences
- Train volunteers and staff: Ensure cooling centre staff and volunteers are well informed on heat illness recognition and equity-based service delivery (e.g., cultural safety, non-violent communication)
Equity and community considerations
- Provide transportation options: Offer transport (e.g., carpools, shuttles, free public transportation) to cooling centres for residents without vehicles or with limited mobility
- Resource safe spaces for unhoused populations and/or people who use substances: Provide resourcing to support organizations serving these populations so they can extend their hours to host their own cooling spaces and develop relevant programming (spaces should offer storage areas for personal belongings and consider allowing pets to reduce barriers to access)
- Resource safe spaces for multilingual and culturally diverse communities: Provide resourcing to cultural organizations serving these populations so they can extend their hours to host their own cooling spaces and develop relevant programming
Costing and budgeting information
Cooling centres hosted in existing spaces can cost $100–$500 per hour to account for staffing of extended hours.
Key cost drivers for initial set-up of a cooling centre include the purchase and installation of air conditioning systems and the procurement of necessary amenities like seating and water stations. Ongoing key cost drivers include utilities, staffing, supplies, and possibly meals and refreshments.
To help reduce overall costs:
- Identify facilities that have cooling features, like air conditioning, already installed
- Partner with local organizations to host cooling centres in their facilities, which are already frequented by the community (e.g., libraries, churches, seniors centres) rather than unprogrammed areas like gyms with only tables and chairs, to save on supply costs
- Seek sponsorship support from local businesses for cooling kit supplies
Case studies and lessons learned
- Accessible cooling centres to meet diverse needs (Sudbury, ON, 2023)
The City of Greater Sudbury developed a Hot Weather Response Plan to protect residents during extreme heat events. The plan emphasizes access to cooling centres for high-risk populations and coordinates a network of public buildings, libraries, community centres and pools to provide temporary relief. During extreme heat alerts, the city extends hours of operation for recreational facilities, keeps transit routes free and communicates heat warnings through multiple media platforms to ensure residents know where to access cooling.
Lesson learned: Prioritizing accessibility and coordination ensures that cooling centres effectively serve diverse community members with varying needs.
- Dual-purpose warming and cooling centres strengthen community resilience (Lambton County, ON, 2022)
Pre-designated warming and cooling centres in Lambton County provide short-term relief during both extreme heat and cold events. Community partners, including recreation centres, libraries, health centres and municipal buildings, coordinate to open these spaces when extreme temperature alerts are issued by Lambton Public Health (LPH). LPH also chairs an Extreme Temperature Stakeholder Group that reviews response activities, shares seasonal lessons, and ensures staff and volunteers are prepared to protect residents from extreme temperatures.
Lesson learned: Small communities can maximize limited resources by designing dual-purpose community resilience centres that provide support for both extreme heat and extreme cold, leveraging community networks and coordinated outreach to protect residents year-round.
- Pop-up cooling tents offer a mobile approach to cooling centres (Kelowna, BC, 2021)
During the June 2021 heat dome, the City of Kelowna recognized that existing cooling centres were not accessible to unhoused and insecurely housed residents. To address this gap, the city collaborated with more than 50 community partners to quickly mobilize a network of pop-up cooling tents in accessible downtown locations. Peer navigators staffed the tents to provide shade, water misters, and cooling supplies. Personal belonging storage programs allowed participants to safely store their belongings while using the cooling areas. Community outreach teams actively checked on people in public spaces, monitored for heat-related symptoms and shared information about accessible cooling locations.
Lesson learned: Pop-up and mobile cooling interventions, combined with strong collaborative networks, can effectively protect heat-vulnerable populations without adequate housing, particularly when traditional cooling centres are inaccessible. This approach demonstrates the value of flexible, community-driven strategies for rapid response during extreme heat events.
*Note: The case studies included on this page are for informational purposes and were not supported by the Green Municipal Fund.
Additional resources
Creating cooling spaces during hot weather guidance (Vancouver Coastal Health) – This resource provides evidence-based guidance for community organizations to set up and operate inclusive, culturally safe and effective cooling spaces. It highlights best practices for protecting vulnerable populations, managing heat-related illness and creating equitable access during hot weather.
Indigenous cultural safety training (San’yas) – This online training on Indigenous cultural safety and anti-Indigenous racism is relevant for staff and volunteers at cooling centres. San’yas offers province-specific and French-language options across Canada, with certificates of completion. The First Nations Health Authority has a free webinar inspired by the training for those without a training budget.
Guidelines for cooling and warming centre locations and sign for a warming or cooling centre (Lambton Public Health) – This reference provides guidance on establishing pre-designated warming and cooling centres in response to extreme heat and cold alerts. It includes activation procedures, alert thresholds, accessibility requirements, partner notifications, operational guidance, visitor expectations and signage examples.
Explore more heat resilience activities
Learn about other heat resilience project types and how they can support your community:
Return to the Heat Resilience Toolkit for Municipalities
Related toolkits
GMF offers additional toolkits to support municipalities facing different climate risks.
Glossary
Alert thresholds: Specific environmental or weather conditions (e.g., temperature, humidex) that, when reached or exceeded, trigger official notifications or activation of response measures such as cooling or warming centres
Cultural safety: A framework for creating environments where individuals feel respected, valued and free from discrimination, with services delivered in a way that acknowledges and addresses historical and systemic inequities, particularly for Indigenous Peoples and other equity-deserving groups
Heat dome: A prolonged period of excessively high temperatures over a region caused by a large, stationary high-pressure system that traps hot air. Heat domes often result in extreme heat events with significant health risks
Non-violent communication: A communication approach often used in community outreach and crisis response contexts, it emphasizes empathy, active listening and respectful dialogue to reduce conflict and foster collaboration
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