New Westminster's 26°C Rule: What Canada's First Heat Bylaw Means for Your Next Apartment Purchase

On June 8, New Westminster City Council enacted Canada's first maximum heat bylaw, requiring all rental units to maintain at least one living space—excluding bathrooms—at an average temperature no higher than 26°C between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. The bylaw emerged directly from the 2021 heat dome tragedy, which killed 619 people across British Columbia, including 33 in New Westminster alone, the highest per capita death toll in the province. Councillor Nadine Nakagawa, who tabled the motion, noted that many victims lived in low-rise walk-up apartments built between the 1960s and 1980s, housing stock that was "not built for this type of climate" and now represents much of the city's affordable rental inventory.