July 2025

Climate change is making local extreme heat and poor air quality events from wildfire smoke more common. Here are some tips on how to take care of yourself, your loved ones and neighbours during hot and smoky days:

• Seek cooler air and stay hydrated: Visit an air-conditioned space at a community centre or public library. Fill your water bottle at a water fountain and cool off at a misting station, spray park or outdoor pool. Check out this interactive map for locations. 
• Stay safe outdoors: Seek shade, wear a hat, lightweight loose clothing and sunscreen. Avoid strenuous exercise outside.
• Make indoor spaces cooler: Block the sun by closing curtains or blinds. Identify the coolest part of your home, make a cool kit, install a window air conditioner, or make low-cost home modifications prior to a heat event. 
• Check on vulnerable neighbours and older adults: Consider having a heat buddy to regularly check in on during hot weather – it could be life-saving. Help them create a plan for where to go when it gets too hot. 
• Reduce your exposure to wildfire smoke on smoky days: Visit a cleaner air space with advanced filtration and create a DIY air cleaner.
• Hot indoor air can be more dangerous than wildfire smoke. Prioritize keeping cool when the weather is hot and there is smoke.  

YOUR TURN

Staying informed is the first step to prepare for extreme heat and wildfire smoke. 

• Learn how hazards including climate-related extreme heat and wildfire impact our city with the interactive Hazard & Risk Explorer.
• Download the Alertable app to receive alerts about extreme heat emergencies and get the most up-to-date information at vancouver.ca/hotweather or vancouver.ca/wildfiresmoke. 
  • Find translated extreme heat and smoke resources in 12 languages. 
• Check out deals on qualifying air conditioners and air purifiers offered by BCHydro through August 22. 

SUPPORTING: CLIMATE ADAPTATION

Walk and wheel over to Gastown’s Sunday Water Street Pedestrian Zone all summer!

We're supporting another summer of excitement in Gastown by testing public space and transportation changes that will help shape future upgrades and programming in the neighbourhood.

Enjoy car-free Sundays with expanded patios and seating, live music, free bike valet service and more family-friendly fun. Supporting walkable public spaces like this pilot project helps us reduce carbon pollution from gas and diesel vehicles — which accounts for nearly 40% of carbon pollution generated locally.

YOUR TURN 

• Visit the Water Street Pedestrian Zone every Sunday from 10am to 6pm, from Richards Street to Columbia Street, and share your thoughts on the pilot at our pop-ups on July 20 and August 24. 
• Take the survey before August 31 to share your experience of the public space enhancements and two-way Cordova Street traffic changes. 

What we learn this summer, along with last summer’s pilot, will inform ongoing work on the Gastown Public Spaces Plan which will guide long-term investments in the area.   

SUPPORTING: CLIMATE EMERGENCY, TRANSPORTATION 2040

Getting around downtown Vancouver just got easier with Lime’s shared e-scooters!

Riders can now travel across the downtown peninsula and conveniently park over 525 Lime e-scooters at any of the 101 dedicated parking stations located in Downtown, West End, Hastings-Sunrise, Grandview Woodland and Mount Pleasant neighbourhoods.

Expanding our shared e-scooter network is one way we’re working to make climate-friendly active transportation and transit the easiest and safest choice to get around.

YOUR TURN

Ready to roll? Find a station by downloading the Lime app or by visiting our webpage.

Remember the following tips to stay safe and comply with traffic regulations and proper parking practices: 

• Shared E-Scooter riders must be at least 18 or older.
• Always wear a helmet when scooting. 
• Only scoot on greenways, bikeways, roadways, the seawall and park paths where bikes are allowed; never on sidewalks. Learn where you can roll with our cycling map. 
• Always walk your e-scooter on sidewalks and slow down near bus stops and on shared paths. 

Find the full list of safety rules and tips here.

SUPPORTING: CLIMATE EMERGENCY

Do you want to learn how to get around the city easily and sustainably?

BEST’s Eco-Voyage workshops provide a practical guide for newcomers and equity-deserving communities to discover various transportation options — from walking and cycling to e-scooters, transit and even bike- or car-sharing. Through interactive sessions and digital resources, participants will learn to:

• Get around the city safely and comfortably
• Combine different ways of travelling to suit your needs
• Advocate for better transportation in your community

Explore all the benefits of multimodal transportation: combining different ways to get to and from your destination. By walking to the bus stop, hopping on an e-scooter to the nearest skytrain station, or riding a bike partway, you can make your trips more convenient and help contribute to our goal of making two-thirds of all trips in Vancouver by active transportation and transit.

YOUR TURN

Register for a free Eco-Voyage workshop: 

• August 8 at West Point Grey VPL Branch
• August 12 at Kensington Branch or
• August 28 at Renfrew Branch.

Want to cycle but don’t own a bike? Consider signing up for a Mobi by Rogers membership with discounts offered by TransLink.

SUPPORTING: CLIMATE EMERGENCY