I stepped into Camille Trudeau’s apartment in East Vancouver on a muggy June afternoon, immediately noticing the portable fan frantically pushing hot air around her living room. The window where her air conditioner once sat now gaped empty.
“I yanked it out as soon as I heard about the recall,” said Trudeau, a 41-year-old nurse who bought her Glacier Comfort window unit last summer. “I’ve been treating patients with respiratory issues for years. Never thought my own AC might be making people sick.”
Trudeau is one of thousands of Canadians scrambling after Health Canada announced a sweeping recall of window air conditioning units manufactured between 2023-2025. The June 5th recall affects over 278,000 units across seven popular brands, including Glacier Comfort, ArcticBreeze, and NorthStar Cooling. Health officials cited “significant mould contamination” linked to a manufacturing defect in the drainage systems.
When I visited Health Canada’s testing facility in Burnaby last week, microbiologist Dr. Sanjay Patel showed me what they found. “The drainage channels in these units were improperly sealed during manufacturing,” he explained, pointing to a disassembled air conditioner with visible dark patches along interior components. “This creates persistent dampness that becomes a perfect breeding ground for multiple species of mould, including Aspergillus and Stachybotrys.”
These aren’t just any moulds. Health Canada reports they can cause serious respiratory irritation, trigger asthma attacks, and create lasting health problems, particularly for children, elderly individuals, and those with compromised immune systems.
The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority has documented 147 cases of unusual respiratory symptoms potentially linked to the affected units since April. Across Canada, that number climbs to nearly 900 reported cases.
“We started seeing this unusual pattern of respiratory complaints that didn’t match typical seasonal allergies,” explained Dr. Miranda Chen, pulmonologist at Vancouver General Hospital. “Patients described chronic coughing, unusual congestion, and in some cases, difficulty breathing that improved when they left their homes.”
For Fraser Valley resident Thomas Longfield, the connection became clear only after months of health struggles. “My nine-year-old daughter developed this persistent cough in February that just wouldn’t go away,” he told me while we sat in his Abbotsford backyard. “We’d run the AC all winter because our heating system is unreliable. Three different doctors couldn’t figure it out until the recall notice.”
Longfield’s daughter spent four days in hospital in April with severe respiratory inflammation. She’s recovering now, but he’s joined a growing class action lawsuit against manufacturers.
The recall represents one of Canada’s largest consumer product safety actions since 2019. Affected units were sold primarily through major retailers including Canadian Tire, Home Depot, and online marketplaces between January 2023 and May 2025. Prices ranged from $199 to $649.
Environment and Climate Change Canada spokesperson Caroline Reynolds noted a troubling pattern: “As climate change brings increasingly frequent heat waves to regions historically unprepared for them, we’re seeing surges in air conditioner purchases in areas like British Columbia and Atlantic Canada where residential cooling wasn’t previously common.”
This shift has meant many first-time buyers may lack awareness about proper maintenance. According to Health Canada, even properly manufactured air conditioners require regular cleaning to prevent mould growth.
Consumer advocacy groups have criticized both manufacturers and retailers for inadequate response. “Companies need to do more than just offer refunds,” said Maria Vasquez of the Canadian Consumer Protection Alliance. “They need to actively contact purchasers, arrange safe removal, and address potential health impacts.”
While visiting Vancouver’s West End, I spoke with property manager Denise Wong, who oversees three apartment buildings with approximately 60 affected units. “This couldn’t come at a worse time,” Wong sighed, gesturing toward the cloudless sky. “We’ve been told to expect record temperatures this summer, and now we’re scrambling to find alternatives for tenants.”
Health Canada’s guidance for affected consumers is straightforward: immediately unplug and stop using recalled units, document serial numbers, and contact manufacturers directly through dedicated recall websites or phone lines. Full refunds are mandatory, though some manufacturers are offering additional compensation for documented medical expenses.
For those like Camille Trudeau, the solution isn’t simple. “Sure, I’ll get my money back eventually, but with temperatures rising and most stores sold out of replacement units, what am I supposed to do now?” she asked, wiping sweat from her brow. “And honestly, I keep wondering – how long was I breathing in that stuff?”
Health officials recommend that anyone experiencing unusual respiratory symptoms who owned a recalled unit should consult their healthcare provider and specifically mention potential mould exposure. The BC Centre for Disease Control has established a monitoring program to track associated health impacts over the coming months.
As I left Trudeau’s apartment, she was researching air purifiers and heat pumps – permanent solutions that might address both immediate cooling needs and longer-term climate resilience. “Maybe this is the push we needed,” she reflected. “Feels like we’re all just patching together solutions while the planet keeps warming.”
The recall serves as a stark reminder that as climate adaptation becomes increasingly necessary, the safety of the tools we rely on matters more than ever.
