DTES advocates looking for water, sunscreen donations for unhoused as city swelters
As the first sustained heat of the season settles in across British Columbia’s south coast, Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued a special weather statement advising people of high temperatures and humidex values through Monday.
Saturday temperatures reached 31 degrees in parts of the Fraser Valley Saturday but it was cooler along the coast where many people packed Vancouver’s beaches to take advantage of the rising temperatures.
"I think if it stays like this for the next two or three months it will be just wonderful,” said Rogayeh Tabrizi as she strolled the sea wall in Stanley Park.
The above average temperatures do have some people concerned and that is why ECCC issued the special weather statement.
"According to the epidemiologists at BC CDC and health authorities, the first heat of the season has an impact in terms of affecting susceptible populations, the at-risk populations," said Armel Castellan, an extreme weather meteorologist with ECCC.
One year ago this week, hundreds of people in B.C. died as the province sweltered under an unprecedented heat dome.
Many of the people who lost their lives were seniors or people with compromised immune systems living alone in apartments with no air conditioning.
Saturday, on the Downtown Eastside, staff with the Overdose Prevention Society handed out free bottles of water in an effort to keep people hydrated – and alive.
"Some folks are drug users and sometimes they’re having an overdose,"said OPS’s Sarah Blyth. "And you don’t want to have heatstroke-slash-overdose. It’s just so complicated."
OPS is asking for donations of water, Gatorade, hats and sunscreen that can be distributed to people living on the streets who may be particularly susceptible to the risks associated with extreme weather
Donations can be dropped off at 41 East Hastings Street.
"Even on the best of days people are dying down here," Blyth said. "So, when it gets really hot or it gets really cold it creates more challenges for people."
Municipalities across the region have also opened cooling centres so people can access air conditioning.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
Manitoba government tables bill to end ban on homegrown recreational cannabis
Manitoba is planning to lift its ban on the home growing of recreational cannabis.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.