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
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
Five areas Canada's foreign interference commissioner says needs more investigation
Commissioner Marie-Josee Hogue released her interim report examining foreign election interference on Friday. Here are five elements of the issue that Hogue says she needs to further probe before she can make conclusions or recommendations.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Why your airfare may be getting more expensive
Skyrocketing airfare prices are linked to heightened competition and rising food and fuel, according to the CAA.
New weight-loss drug Wegovy not a 'magic bullet,' doctor warns
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
2 charged after police find 'concerning and diverse' explosives at Manitoba home
Winnipeg police say they have arrested two people in their 20s after a large amount of explosives were found in a home outside of Winnipeg, Man.