(Dreamstime)

By David Opinko

COVID-19, extreme heat lead causes of rising deaths in Canada since Jan. 2020

Oct 14, 2021 | 2:11 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Statistics Canada says more Canadians died over the last year-and-a-half than we would normally see.

Between March 2020 and the beginning of July 2021, they report that there was an estimated 19,501 excess deaths across the country, or 5.3 per cent more deaths than what would be expected in a typical period.

During that time, 25,165 deaths were directly attributed to COVID-19.

There are also several ways in which the pandemic indirectly lead to deaths including delays to medical procedures and increased substance use during shutdowns.

In 2021, Stats Canada says there was no nationally-observed “significant excess mortality,” but provinces including Alberta, B.C., Saskatchewan, and Ontario did see this being the case.

Nighttime construction on Hwy 3 in Lethbridge starts April 17

Apr 17, 2025

SASHA launches #BuyABed fundraiser to support vulnerable Lethbridge residents

Apr 04, 2025

$20K grants available: TELUS STORYHIVE Pan-Asian Edition opens applications April 1

Mar 18, 2025

“In addition, British Columbia and Alberta saw periods of higher-than-expected mortality at the end of June 2021 and into July, when a heat wave gripped the two provinces,” reads a write-up from Stats Canada.

From the week ending June 26, 2021, to the week ending July 31, 2021, 3,406 total deaths were recorded in Alberta, which the agency says is 443 more than expected. In that time, daily temperatures consistently exceeded 40 degrees in both Alberta and B.C.

“The final cause of death has not been reported for many of these cases, and many may still be under investigation. However, where information is available, it suggests a sharp increase in deaths caused by extreme heat in this period.”

According to Stats Canada, there is no conclusive evidence that the overall rise in excess deaths was caused by there being more suicides.

In 2020, 3,780 suicides were reported across Canada. That is 232 less than in 2019 and 31 more than in 2018.

For local news delivered daily to your email inbox, subscribe for free to the Lethbridge News Now newsletter here. You can also download the Lethbridge News Now mobile app in the Google Play and the Apple App Stores.