Logging, mining, cattle, fishing and tourism will be under unheard-of stress due to lack of water and the threat of more wildfires. During the June heat wave, BC Hydro dealt with scores, if not hundreds, of local power outages, often resulting from heat-related equipment failure. One blacked out Sointula, on Malcolm Island, for half a day; another shut down electricity for north Vancouver Island region for almost 24 hours. Food spoiled, and backup generators were needed to pump water out of wells. Internet access was down for days.
Future heat waves will aggravate and extend such events. Homeowners and businesses will find it harder and more expensive to get insurance. Aging energy infrastructure will fail in heat waves and fires. Communities may decide it’s easier to go off the grid and rely on local renewable energy like solar instead.