City opens spray pads… for those in need

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This article was published 04/06/2021 (1728 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

THE City of Winnipeg opened up 20 spray pads Thursday, as a last resort to beat the heat.

The change came after the province allowed a few facilities that closed due to COVID-19 pandemic health orders to temporarily reopen as cooling options to cope with soaring temperatures.

On Thursday, Environment Canada issued a heat warning for Winnipeg, predicting temperatures will reach or exceed 35 C both today and Saturday.

City officials urged the spray pads only be used by those who have no other option to cool down.

“If you are able to get relief from the heat at your personal residence, because you are fortunate enough to have access to air conditioning or if you have a sprinkler or pool in your own backyard, we are asking you not to use these spray pads,” said Jason Shaw, Winnipeg assistant chief of emergency management.

Those who do use spray pads are asked to stay only 30 minutes at a time.

The pads will be open from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily over the next several days. Health orders allowing their temporary use expire at 12:01 a.m. June 12.

Mayor Brian Bowman warned if Winnipeggers fail to follow social distancing and other public health rules at the sites, including gathering bans, the province could remove the option early.

“(The province has)… been very clear that if proper physical distancing and public health protocols can’t be adequately managed, then operations should cease,” said Bowman.

The city’s community service ambassadors will monitor the spray pads to ensure public health orders are followed.

Normally, the city allows Winnipeggers to cool off at city hall, pools, recreation centres, libraries and gyms. With the pandemic, Shaw said far fewer options can safely be made available.

“We have to mix the risk and hazard analysis between COVID-19 and the heat emergency,” he said.

Shaw said it would be difficult to staff additional cooling sites, such as pools or libraries, since the provincial exemptions only last until next week. However, he said the city is considering additional options.

Bowman urged the province to provide more notice of its exact public health orders in the future. The mayor said some warning was given about the latest measure but the city got little notice of key details, such as how it would be expected to enforce public health orders.

The province refuted that claim, insisting plenty of detail was provided, some as early as Monday.

“It is wildly inaccurate for the mayor to state that the City of Winnipeg did not have adequate advance notice of these changes to the public health orders. Not only did they have advance notice, they had an opportunity to provide input,” a provincial spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

It’s not clear how many Winnipeggers are aware the city hopes to greatly limit the use of spray pads.

Several who visited the amenities Thursday shared excitement about when the facilities would finally reopen completely.

“In the summer, I probably bring my kids here five times a week. They are in grades 4 and 1 and we live in an apartment, so we’re really cooped up in there… It’s nice to cool off, and they love it,” Jackie Johnson said at the Gateway spray pad.

“We’ve all been waiting for it (to open). I think it’s a really worthwhile public facility,” Don McBain said at the Vimy Ridge spray pad.

As the heat wave continues, the city will also provide potable water tanks near the Salvation Army and Broadway Neighbourhood Centre, help staff a shade tent that offers bottled water at Central Park and hand out bottled water outside city libraries.

— with files from Joseph Bernacki

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga