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“If you’re on a construction site, working machinery, working with dangerous products, you can’t afford to have anything happen that could make you a danger to yourself or others,” he said.

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Those working with heavy machinery or on more high-risk tasks have extra precautions in place, with spotters around to ensure nothing goes wrong.

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Construction workers have to deal with the worst of the elements, but Black said the reward of completing a job outweighs the hardships.

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“They have a real pride because they can physically drive by, every day for the next 40 years, the things that they actually built, the things that they actually worked on,” he said.

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These artists may be used to the heat, but when summer conditions get too intense, operations have to shift slightly.

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Hayden MacRae, co-founder and glassblowing artist at Fascapple Glass, and Chris Green, bladesmith and owner of Black Cat Metal, both shift their workdays earlier during heat waves to avoid the hottest part of the afternoon, starting as early as 5 a.m. Staying hydrated, taking breaks and recognizing the early signs of heat exhaustion are all part of the job, Green said, especially when teaching workshops.

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“I often joke with my students there’s no wrong way to do it, just don’t hurt yourself,” Green said. “If you’re overheating, you’re probably hurting yourself.”

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MacRae said Fascapple Glass cancels workshops when temperatures climb above roughly 33 to 35 C, while Green bases that decision on how he and his students feel. Both encourage customers to arrive hydrated before stepping into the studio, as the heated studios make it impossible to rehydrate if dehydration has already set in.

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The decision to cancel workshops isn’t about the artists, as they’ve become acclimated to the conditions — it’s about making sure customers don’t push themselves beyond their own limits.

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“If we’re going to get heatstroke or if we can’t handle the heat anymore, then they can’t handle the heat,” MacRae said.

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Fascapple Glass also keeps cold towels, water and even popsicles on hand for workshop participants to help them stay cool, but at the end of the day, no amount of planning changes the reality of the work.

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“Heat is the name of the game,” MacRae said.

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Brisebois Bees out in 2025 at one of their community hives. Photo supplied from Brisebois Bees social media.

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For beekeepers, the biggest challenge during a heat wave isn’t only staying cool, but helping the bees do the same.

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Trina White, a beekeeper with family-run Brisebois Bees, said hot weather makes it harder for colonies to regulate the temperature inside their hives. To cool down, bees have to fan their wings harder to increase airflow and crowd to the front of the hive in a behaviour known as ‘bearding,’ creating more space inside for water droplets to evaporate and lower the temperature. The added heat can also cause colonies to grow more quickly and swarm, which is when colonies split into two.

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And more bees equal more honey.

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“It makes the honey production go really fast, so it’s harder,” White said. “It’s a little bit more under pressure, because the bees are one step ahead of me. They’re building up faster, and when you have a larger quantity of hives in the summertime it takes about an hour per inspection.

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White wears a ventilated bee suit to stay comfortable and light-breathable clothing underneath, but she said her focus isn’t on herself. It’s about making sure the colonies are healthy enough to survive beyond the summer.

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“It really motivates me more to keep working with the bees because it pays off in the winter time,” she said. “All my hard work keeping them stable and strong enough to go into the winter, it’s very rewarding.”