Front Burner Are Canadian summers as we knew them over?
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Aug 20, 2025 Denise Balkisson, executive editor of The Narwhal, explores the alarming effects of climate change on Canadian summers. She discusses the second-worst wildfire season shaping the outdoor experiences of children today, often contaminated by smoke and poor air quality. The conversation dives into the emotional challenges faced by parents, particularly in low-income and Indigenous communities, amidst these changes. Denise emphasizes the need for proactive adaptation strategies and reflects on how we can channel feelings of grief and anger into meaningful action against climate change.
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Family Trips Disrupted By Heat And Pests
- Denise cut a cottage trip short because an old cottage without A/C reached 85°F indoors at 10 p.m., making sleep impossible.
- She also noted more ticks when camping, linking warmer winters to tick survival and spread.
Urban Summer Life Is Becoming Risky
- Cities built around outdoor summer life now face cancelled events, medical emergencies and planning uncertainty due to heat and smoke.
- This challenges cultural and economic routines that depend on reliably pleasant summers.
Channel Grief Into Collective Action
- Adaptation requires societal-level changes, not just individual coping like staying in A/C.
- Use grief as motivation to push for systemic fixes rather than only personal adjustments.
