Yes, it’s spring and, yes, this is a heat warning
Michela Barresi and Jordan Brathwaite spread a blanket on the beach near Hutch’s Monday as a heat wave gripped the area. With splash pads, pools and malls off limits, city officials are having to come up with new ideas to provide relief from stifling temperatures. Learn more on
Hamilton is scrambling to beat an early heat wave — without triggering a second wave of COVID-19 infections.
Pools, beaches, malls and air-conditioned restaurants remain closed as a pandemic precaution even as temperatures spike past 30 C with the promise of high-humidex misery lasting through Wednesday. But the city temporarily opened some libraries and rec centres as “cooling spaces” Monday after medical officer of health Dr. Elizabeth Richardson issued a heat warning.
“Having a heat warning during a pandemic is something ... we’ve never had to do before,” said Richardson at a COVID-19 news conference. “But I think we’ve implemented a good solution that balances the need to provide cooling places with the need to maintain a safe distance from others.”
The handful of library branches and rec centres, mostly in the lower city and Stoney Creek, represent a fraction of the number of cooling options normally available. (On top of pools and splash pads, the city usually partners with agencies to open dozens of buildings during heat alerts.)
Emergency Operations Centre director Paul Johnson said the city had to “throw out the plans” for a typical heat emergency thanks to the pandemic, but added he feels there are enough cooling centres based on past usage. He said the city chose sites with homeless residents in mind as well as “dense housing” areas where people may live in apartments with no air-conditioning.
Each temporarily opened library or rec centre will operate as a “waiting room” and place to hydrate during the hottest part of the day. (They’ll hand out bottled water, since water fountains are still offlimits.)
But you cannot browse the shelves of an otherwise-closed library, for example, or shoot hoops at a gym — and staff will ensure visitors follow physical-distancing rules.
Residents should also avoid using HSR buses as cooling centres because pandemic rider limits remain for each bus.
Be cool and COVID-19 safe here:
Central Memorial Community Centre (93 West Ave. S.)
Ryerson Rec Centre (251 Duke St.) Norman Pinky Lewis Rec Centre (192 Wentworth St. N.)
Bernie Morelli Rec Centre (876 Cannon St. E.)
Stoney Creek Rec Centre (45 King St. W., Stoney Creek)
Rosedale Arena (100 Greenhill Ave.)
Hamilton Central Library (55 York Blvd.)