Splash pads draw Londoners trying to beat the heat

Mother Nature brought a mixed bag of weather for Londoners on Monday, with temperatures soaring above 30 C in the morning followed by a cooling bout of rain.

Environment and Climate Change Canada issued thunderstorm advisories late in the morning, not long after local ground crews, parents, and kids were found seeking relief from the heat at the city’s splash pads.

“It’s disgustingly hot, so we’re going to cool off before we start working,” laughed Caitlin Bye, the leader of a Parks and Recreation crew that planned to spend the day planting annuals at Ivey Park.

She and four other crew members enjoyed the Forks of the Thames splash pad, before tending to their gardening duties at Ivey Park.

Friends Romney Smith and Natalie Hertzman made similar exceptions, while on a bike ride with their young children in tow.

“We biked to a different park, and then my son — when we were going back so I could go to work — my son said, “Splash pad, splash pad!” Hertzman said.

They made an impromptu stop at the splash pad, much to both children’s delight.

“We got off our bicycle, and she started to take her top off. … The next thing I knew I had a little naked girl running around in the water.”

If you’re looking to beat the heat, a list of the city’s wading pools and splash pads can be found online at london.ca. A list of the city’s outdoor pools can be found at london.ca.

The Middlesex-London Health Unit has issued its own heat warning, reminding Londoners to wear loose-fitting, light clothing, keep windows covered on the sunny side of your home, and to periodically take cool baths or showers to help avoid heat-related illness.

Whenever the public health unit issues such a warning, a number of community centres open their doors as cooling centres. The hours for those facilities can be found online.