CFN –The City of Cornwall has established a temporary Cooling Centre for residents who are looking for a place to cool down from the humid temperatures over the next couple of days.
The lower-level Salons of the Cornwall Civic Complex (100 Water Street East) will be used as a Cooling Centre on Wednesday, June 20th, and it will be open to the public until 10 pm. On Thursday, a Cooling Centre will be open at the Benson Centre (800 Seventh Street West), from 9 am to 9:30 pm. Both locations are accessible by Cornwall Transit.
In addition to the Cooling Centre, residents are reminded the City’s two splash pads in Lamoureux Park and St. Theresa Park (at Thirteenth Street) are now open seven days a week. Also, the Aquatic Centre is open for paid recreational swims on June 20th and June 21st from 2 pm to 3:25 pm and 7 pm to 8:25 pm.
The Eastern Ontario Health Unit has issued a severe heat and humidity advisory for the Cornwall area. A heat advisory is issued when the humidex is expected to be 36 degrees Celsius or higher for at least two consecutive days.
During a heat advisory, everyone is at risk, but some groups are more vulnerable than others. They include young children, the elderly, people who exercise vigorously or who are involved in strenuous work outdoors for prolonged periods, and the chronically ill.
Residents should follow these tips to prevent 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.
• 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.
There are specific tips to follow for children:
• Be aware that children are unable to perspire as much as adults and therefore are more prone to heat stress than adults.
• Dress young children and babies very lightly, and do not bundle them in blankets or heavy clothing.
• If you have a young child or a child with chronic respiratory conditions such as asthma, do not allow them to partake in sporting events or exercise during heat waves especially when there is a heat/humidity advisory in effect.
• Never leave children in a parked car. .
