The City of Ottawa is opening four emergency cooling centres to help keep vulnerable residents healthy as temperatures are expected to rise throughout the week.
On Tuesday morning, Environment Canada issued an extreme heat warning in Ottawa, projecting temperatures in the mid-30s for the next three days and humidex values as high as 37 on Wednesday and Thursday.
Many traditional ways to beat the heat in Ottawa, however, are off-limits as a result of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Public swimming pools, splash and spray pads and wading pools all remain closed under provincial restrictions.
Three of Ottawa’s public beaches — Mooney’s Bay, Westboro Beach and Petrie Island — are open for use provided residents maintain physical distancing directives, while Britannia Beach is closed this summer for riverbed restoration.
The city announced Tuesday it has opened up the Ron Kolbus Lakeside Centre, the St-Laurent Complex and the Hunt Club Riverside Park and Sandy Hill community centres as emergency cool-down destinations.
Each of the centres will be open starting 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. the following two days.
City staff say the centres are set up to allow for physical distancing and encourage residents visiting the facilities to wear a cloth mask, though some health experts are saying it’s better to remove the mask in high heat and humidity — especially for anyone with chronic breathing difficulties.
Ottawa Public Health has a full list of tips to fend off heat-related illnesses here.
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