Cornwall ON – In light of the hot and humid weather being forecast for the next few days, the City of Cornwall is offering free swims at its outdoor pools on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evening from 6 pm to 8 pm.“This will provide residents with the opportunity to cool down a bit before they go to bed,” said Christine Lefebvre, Division Manager, Parks and Recreation.
Along with the free evening swims, the six outdoor pools are also open for free swimming each weekday from 1 pm to 4 pm. Residents are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to help cope with the hot and humid temperatures.The City operates six outdoor pools in the following neighbourhood parks:
- Mattice Park (Edward and Lennox Streets)
- St. Joseph Park (Easton Avenue and Jarvis Street)
- Reg Campbell Park (Leitch Drive and Fraser Avenue)
- St. Francis de Sales Park (Second Street West, next to the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 297)
- Terry Fox Park (Mercier and Ross Avenues)
- Riverdale Park (Riverdale Avenue and Dover Road)
Beyond the outdoor pools, residents can also make use of the Aquatic Centre or the splashpads in Lamoureux Park and St. Theresa Park (on Thirteenth Street). The splashpads are open throughout the day, and they are free to use.
“The splashpads offer a great way for young children to cool down,” said Mrs. Lefebvre.
Residents who are looking to stay cool can also take advantage of the air conditioning at the Benson Centre, Cornwall Civic Complex and Cornwall Public Library.On Tuesday, the Eastern Ontario Health Unit issued a severe heat and humidity advisory for Cornwall and the surrounding area. A heat advisory is issued when the humidex is expected to be 36 C or higher for at least two consecutive days.
The Health Unit recommends that residents follow these tips to avoid the risk of heat injury:
- Drink plenty of water and avoid liquids that contain alcohol, caffeine or large amounts of sugar.
- Stay indoors. Stay cool by taking cool showers or wetting your hands, face and the back of your neck.
- If it’s sunny, keep your house cooler by pulling down awnings or closing outdoor shutters (if you have them) over your windows, or keep the curtains/blinds closed.
- If you have a two-storey house, keep the upper-level windows slightly open, to draw excess heat up and out.
- If your house is hot, try to spend a few hours in an air-conditioned space, such as a mall, or a formal cooling centre (if available).
- At night, if the outdoor temperature is cooler, open all your windows. If you have fan units that fit into the windows, use them to bring down the temperature faster.
- Limit your physical activity.
- Keep your home cool by limiting the use of your oven/stove.
- Turn off unnecessary lights.
