Public Cooling Amenities for Heat Relief
(Supplemental 25.03)

Due to climate change, Kamloops is experiencing higher annual summer temperatures and more extreme weather. Extreme heat is dangerous for human health and well-being and is responsible for the highest number of weather-related deaths annually across the province. To fulfill a key strategy within the City’s Extreme Heat Response Plan, Administration recommends using Climate Action Reserve Funding over the next three years to install and operate up to 10 public misting stations and/or upgrade existing drinking fountains to become combination fountains/misters. This investment will increase public access to safe cooling space while prioritizing access to cooling amenities in areas of the city with greater heat vulnerability and exposure.

COST: $225,000 in 2025–2027 with ongoing annual operational costs under $10,000.

The total capital costs for this proposal would be funded through the Climate Action Reserve, with operational costs funded through taxation. The impact on taxation in 2025 would be negligible, less than 0.00%, or around $0.05 for an average home.