Stay Cool

Editors’ Letter: Staying Cool

Summer — it’s finally here! Time for beaches, patios, camping, barbeques and more. As you’ll see on pages 14-18, there’s no shortage of events to check out over the next few months. From hot, steamy dance parties to Shakespeare in the park, whatever your vibe is, whatever your interest is, there’s always something happening in the city.

This endless bounty of concerts, events and festivals is one of the motivations behind our cover, “STAY COOL.” We’d like to think that our coverage of local politics, arts and culture plays at least a small part in helping you stay up-todate and cool.

The second meaning of our cover is less fun. Earlier this year, Toronto broke an 86-year temperature record, hitting 11C in mid-February. As we write this letter, summer hasn’t even hit full swing yet, and the weather is already hot. Much of the heat we’ll be feeling this summer — on patios, in parks, and especially inside our homes — will be made worse by the climate crisis.

As we report on page 8, the number of extreme heat days will increase significantly by the year 2040, according to climate modelling, with the number of heat-related deaths increasing as well. This year alone, Toronto has already broken at least two high-temperature records dating back to the 1930s!

This summer, the most vulnerable among will be struggling to stay cool and, hopefully, alive in the extreme heat.

To help us all deal with this together, we’ve put together some advice on how to stay cool this summer: from campaigns pushing for a maximum-temperature bylaw to practical tips for at home (pages 8-9).

As in the last few issues, we continue following Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza (pages 6-7), and are hoping and pushing for a ceasefire. We hear from a Palestinian student at the encampment at the University of Toronto, who describes it as the most welcoming space they’ve experienced on campus.

We’re also super appreciative for the support you, dear reader, have shown us. In the spring we set a goal of 75 new monthly donors, and from April to mid-June, just over 50 people signed up. Thank you! This goes a long way to keeping The Grind afloat and paying writers for quality journalism. To become a monthly supporter, visit thegrindmag.ca/support.

The next issue of The Grind will be out in late September.

This article appeared in the 2024 Summer issue.