Winnipeg to reopen multiple spray pads for heat relief
The City of Winnipeg is opening up some spray pads for residents as a heatwave continues to impact Manitoba.
Manitoba amended its public health orders on Wednesday to allow spray pads to reopen due to the extreme heat.
The city’s spray pads will be open at noon on Thursday.
Jay Shaw, manager of emergency operations with the city, said the spray pads have been deemed as respite from the heat.
“We really want to encourage people to use them to cool off if they have no other means,” he said. “We want to make sure we’re taking care of all of our residents based on both of these hazards.”
Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman said he is thankful the province made the adjustments to the public health orders.
“We have competing needs right now,” he said. “We have a health emergency with COVID-19; we also have an emergency with the extreme heat.
“The province has allowed the opening of these facilities. They have also been very clear with us that the outdoor facilities will be required to have supervision.”
Winnipeg’s community service ambassadors will monitor the locations. All public health orders regarding gatherings and physical distancing will be in effect.
“We are encouraging residents who have the means to cool off at their personal residences, to not utilize the spray pads at this time, so they are available for those who do not have another option,” the city said in a statement. “The City is also recommending that users limit their time at the spray pad to a maximum of 30 minutes at a time.”
The spray pads will be open daily from noon to 8 p.m.
The full list of spray pads opening up is below. The spray pads at Michaëlle Jean Park (Norquay Community Centre) and Old Ex will not be opening at this time.
- Central Park;
- Fort Rouge;
- Freight House;
- Gateway;
- Jill Officer Park;
- Lindenwoods;
- Lindsey Wilson Park;
- Machray Park;
- Provencher Park;
- River Heights;
- St. Norbert;
- Shaughnessy;
- St. James Assiniboia Centennial Pool;
- Sturgeon Heights;
- Valley Gardens;
- Vimy Ridge Memorial Park;
- Waverley Heights;
- Westdale; and
- West Kildonan.
Spray pads will not be sanitized by the city, and on-site washrooms will not be available for use. The city says people who are exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms should avoid using spray pads, and gatherings with people outside of your household are not permitted under the current public health orders.
Outdoor pools or wading pools will not open at this time.
The current public health order regarding spray pads expires on June 12.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States, injuring at least three people.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.