Friday was a day to keep your cool.
Heat warnings have been issued across many parts of Ontario, including the Kingston area, and will likely stay in place through the weekend.
The combination of rising temperatures and humidity saw many people in the Limestone City looking for a place to cool down, whether it was hanging out at the waterfront or going to one of Kingston’s newly-opened splash pads. Tawni Morrison and her children were at the City Park splash pad.
“The kids love it,” said Tawni Morrison, who was at the City Park splash pad with her children.
“It’s nice to cool down. It’s nice to get out of the house — bring a little snack, sit down with the kids, play, run around.”
Jeff Gennrich and his daughter also took advantage of that same City Park splash pad.
“Every time that it’s a nice day we come out here. We’re either here at the splash pad or we try to find a nice place for her to go swimming,” Gennrich said.
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“But typically it’s here.”
Nine splash pads around the city had the water flowing as of Friday and Tiiu Vail says not a moment too soon.
“There’s a heat warning right now and so it’s a perfect day to be at a splash pad. I’m very thankful that they’re reopened.”
Kingston’s waterfront was also a popular hangout even as the beaches remain closed for now. Some people stayed cool by going into the water, while those less adventurous just dipping their feet in the water.
Danielle Picard was enjoying the breeze off the water while playing cards.
“I live in a student house so we don’t have air conditioning or any kind of luxury like that,” Picard said, “so this is the easiest way for us to keep cool and brace ourselves for the weekend.”
The Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Health Unit offers several tips to stay cool:
- Drinking plenty of cool liquids, especially water before feeling thirsty.
- Avoiding direct sun exposure, for example by sitting under a tree.
- Wearing a wide-brimmed, breathable hat or using an umbrella.
- Taking a break from the heat by spending a few hours in a cool place.
- Rescheduling strenuous outdoor activity and wearing loose-fitting clothes.
- And never leave people or pets inside a parked vehicle or in direct sunlight.
The hot days ahead come just in time, as summer officially arrives this weekend.