Plan to beat the heat

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This article was published 25/06/2024 (656 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A safeguard designed for vulnerable Winnipeg residents to weather the extreme heat has been updated and deployed with summer arriving.

The End Homelessness Winnipeg extreme weather response plan includes resources for people at risk to deal with the heat, including addresses of cooling centres and drinking water stations.

“We have to be as prepared as we can be in terms of getting the resources out there and checking in with one another,” said executive director Jason Whitford.

The plan, in its fifth year, was developed with input from representatives from emergency shelters, outreach services, drop-ins, municipal and provincial departments, and Environment and Climate Change Canada. Printed guides with resources will be available for vulnerable people to pick up at multiple shelters and safe spaces in the city.

Extreme heat warnings are issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada when forecast temperatures are 32 C or higher during the day and no less than 16 C overnight for two consecutive days, or two or more days with a humidex of 38 C.

An extended heat warning is declared when conditions persist for three or more days.

Environment Canada’s forecast is calling for temperatures in the mid-to-high 20s through Canada Day long weekend, which are mild compared to years’ past but can still be too hot to handle if outside for long periods of time.

“If people don’t cool down at night, the second day it gets worse,” said meteorologist Natalie Hasell. “The body can’t handle the stress of the heat.”

As part of the plan, organizations will provide water, cooling locations, pop-up cooling tents and supplies for the community.

Hasell said people living outside should rely on cool air and drinks to beat the heat. If not accessible, seek out shady spots.

“If people don’t cool down at night, the second day it gets worse … The body can’t handle the stress of the heat.”–Meteorologist Natalie Hasell

The city has also expanded its hydration station project to focus on areas where vulnerable residents are more at risk of heat-related illnesses.

Seven water stations have been installed at 185 Young St., 469 Selkirk Ave., 888 Main St., the 300 block of Princess Street, 48 Osborne St., 369 Furby St. and the 400 block of Maryland Street at Ellice Avenue.

The city will also keep several community centres — Bronx Park, Clara Hughes Recreation Park, East Elmwood, Luxton and Riverview — open during select hours to act as cooling spaces. Leisure centres and libraries will be accessible as cooling centres and hydration stations during extreme heat events.

The organization’s response strategy was originally formed in the wake of long periods of heat becoming the norm in Winnipeg and COVID-19 demanding coordinated action for people at risk amid lockdowns.

Despite the marginally hot temperatures, the committee wanted to deploy the plan now, Whitford said.

“We never know whether the weather man is going to be accurate or not,” he said.

Whitford said the plan is especially important if evacuees from communities affected by forest fires begin to arrive in Winnipeg, as has been the trend in recent years.

“That impacts our sector,” he said. “(The plan) helps gather up-to-date information … the goal is to get people help and support and build relationships with them, and then hopefully get them housed, which is what our ultimate goal is.”

Main Street Project’s mobile outreach vans will also deploy an additional set of wheels during periods of extreme heat, said executive director Jamil Mahmood.

“It’s good for extreme heat times so people don’t have to go looking for resources,” Mahmood said of the guide.

The non-profit is asking for donations of water bottles, baggy clothing and summer shoes to dole out to vulnerable residents during the upcoming warm weather, Mahmood said.

Meanwhile, a different kind of extreme weather hit the Pembina Valley Monday as winds gusting to more than 100 km/h caused power outages for several customers.

Hasell warned to stay away from parks and outdoor areas during periods of extreme wind due to risks of falling trees and branches, and to stay sheltered in basements to avoid debris which could pierce through walls. Emergency kits are also suggested, the meteorologist said.

nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca

EXTREME SUMMER WEATHER COMMUNITY RESPONSE PLAN