Pride festivities not hampered by record-breaking heat

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This article was published 03/06/2023 (833 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In the sweltering Saturday heat, a first-aid trailer parked at The Forks is packed to the brim with essentials: cooling fans, 500 Ziplock bags of ice, electrolyte-infused Freezies and, of course, water.

The Canadian First Aid Training team bumped up its staff from six to eight, many of whom are patrolling the grounds, to attend to Pride revellers celebrating this weekend.

A whiteboard attached to the door reads “Prepare for worst, hope for best” — that’s the mindset of medical supervisor Stefan Zueff.

“I’m hoping all this stuff that we just brought out here just needs to be packed up and brought back,” he said Saturday afternoon.

His team is there for the thousands of people set to take part in Pride festivities this weekend, in spite of the record heat.

Friday was the hottest June 2 on record in Winnipeg at 32.9 C — the same day in 1948 was just 0.7 C cooler.

The temperature soared to 32 C on Saturday, nearly matching the record for June 2 at 32.8 C in 1968.

Sunday is expected to reach 33 C.

Zueff said his team treats an average of 50 clients during Pride weekend for a range of services — from cuts and scrapes to heat-related issues — but he expects that number to double this weekend because of the high temperatures.

“We’re going to be looking at people that will probably have some dehydration; they may have some headaches. Hopefully, they don’t end up in a heat exhaustion or heat stroke situation, but that’s always possible, just with the number of people that are expected to attend this year.”

The average daytime highs this time of year are typically around 22 C, but current numbers are far surpassing those averages, Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologist Justin Shaer said Saturday.

“What exacerbates the heat is that lack of reprieve from the heat, no relief overnight, because we’re not really cooling down to anything substantially,” Shaer said. “We’re used to daytime highs around 22 C on average for this time of year, and that’s our overnight lows, around 20 C.”

Environment Canada issued a heat warning for Winnipeg and most of Manitoba this weekend, with the humidex set to reach 38 C on Monday.

“This time of year, it’s just been a very persistent southernly pattern. Right now we have basically moisture and everything streaming up from as far south as the Gulf of Mexico, so that’s why it’s a little hotter and more humid than what we typically see for this time of year,” he said.

“What exacerbates the heat is that lack of reprieve from the heat, no relief overnight, because we’re not really cooling down to anything substantially.”–Justin Shaer, meteorologist

Winnipeggers can see a short break early next week, with temperatures in the mid-20 C forecast.

Shaer said that break may be short-lived.

“People need to drink plenty of water even before they feel thirst. You want to wear loose clothing, a hat, try to stay in the shade, take frequent breaks and not really over-exert yourself,” he said.

Some revellers such as Eddie and Ryan Mendoza exerted themselves for a good cause. The couple were out for the Winnipeg Pride Run Saturday morning — a five-kilometre walk or run around The Forks grounds — before hitting the booths afterward.

Their advice? Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

“They took really good care of us. They had water stations that they were handing out water with, and everyone was screaming and cheering everybody on. So it was a lot of fun,” Eddie said.

A bit of sweat was worth celebrating Pride, said the pair, who have been married for 20 years.

“I’m just experiencing all the love and acceptance,” Ryan said. “It’s not often that we can walk around and feel 100 per cent safe holding hands. It’s really important.”

For some, the best part of the day was beating the heat.

A short walk away, 16-month-old Max gleefully splashed around The Forks splash pad.

He’s too young to go himself, of course — his father, Chad Friesen, gently lifted him through the light jets of water, a quick reprieve from the unrelenting sun for both of them.

“We’re trying to stay cool a little bit and enjoy the nice weather that’s here, but he likes the water, so we thought we’d play around in it a bit,” said Friesen while Max, thoroughly spritzed, cheerfully took a break in his stroller.

The Fort Parka splash pad, owned by Parks Canada, was set to remain closed until July 1. Organizers later decided to open in time for Pride weekend, citing heat as a factor.

“This was a nice surprise. We were just walking through, taking in the event and stuff like that a little bit, but we noticed that it was open and it was a wonderful diversion. So it worked out well,” Friesen said.

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca