How Winnipeg is helping residents beat the heat this summer
With Winnipeg experiencing scorching hot weather, the city is taking steps to help keep residents safe and cool.
This year, as part of a pilot project, the City of Winnipeg has set up three hydration stations located in Central Park, at the Bell Tower, and at the Broadway Neighbourhood Centre.
“These are permanent – 24 hours, seven days a week—stations where you can access clean drinking water,” said Mike Olczyk, the city’s acting emergency management coordinator, in an interview with CTV Morning Live on Monday.
Olczyk noted the city has also partnered with six community centres to offer cooling spaces during select hours. These community centres include the Bronx Park Community Centre, Linden Woods Community Centre, Luxton Community Centre, Norberry-Glenlee Community Centre, Riverview Community Centre, and South Transcona Community Centre.
Winnipeggers can also go to leisure centres and libraries to cool off during regular operating hours, as well as city-operated pools and spray pads.
TIPS FOR STAYING SAFE
Olczyk said that extreme heat is a growing hazard that can affect anyone, which is why it is important to be careful. He noted that even a healthy person can be affected by heat depending on how high the temperature is and how long the exposure is.
“Our bodies need to maintain a consistent temperature and that can be very difficult during extreme heat events,” he said.
“The key thing then is that you can be exposed to heat-related illness in those kinds of events,”
Olczyk said it is important to check the forecast and plan for ways to stay cool.
“One of the key things is staying hydrated. So don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink water,” he said.
The City of Winnipeg offers the following tips for staying safe in the summer:
- Hydrate;
- Stay in the shade;
- Wear a hat and loose-fitting clothes;
- Plan outdoor activities during cooler parts of the day;
- Take a cool bath or shower;
- Check in on family members and those who may be vulnerable;
- Wear sunscreen and sunglasses;
- Call 911 if someone is showing signs of heat exhaustion; and
- Pack cool drinks.
- With files from CTV’s Ainsley McPhail.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.