Saskatoon is prepping for expected heat wave

Preparations are underway to deal with the heat in Saskatoon.

The City of Saskatoon, along with its partners, has activated its Extreme Heat Emergency Response Plan to help those in need.

“That is about those people who are more vulnerable to the heat and making sure that we have a plan in place to keep them safe,” said Pamela Goulden-McLeod.

“That includes people who are experiencing homelessness and also people who are living in a home that doesn’t necessarily have a way to cool like air conditioning and have some health conditions as well.”

The City of Saskatoon and their partners will be distributing water to those in need and will have cooling stations at locations listed on the City of Saskatoon website.

For the general public, spray pads will remain open until 10 p.m. every night.

“Our outreach teams, our police and fire crews are out and they’re watching for people who might be in distress,” Goulden-McLeod said. “Then we connect with our health partners who are reaching out to those people as well.”

The Extreme Heat Emergency Response Plan is at level 2, which means temperatures of 32 C and minimum overnight temperatures of more than 16 C for three to seven days.

“We’re concerned about it because we’re going to see some extreme heat during the day, 32 (to) 34 degrees,” she said. “But it’s also not cooling off at night.”

The City of Saskatoon reminds residents to stay safe during the extreme heat by staying cool indoors, staying hydrated, dressing for the weather, checking on pets, and continuing to check online for weather changes.