Supplies dwindling as non-profit helps homeless survive heat wave
Downtown Eastside residents struggle to stay cool and drink enough water
The second heat wave to hit B.C.’s south coast on the heels of a hot, dry July has burned through the supplies of at least one Vancouver non-profit that helps the vulnerable stay safe in the heat.
With temperatures hitting 27 C and the midday sun beating mercilessly down on the asphalt and concrete of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, Nathan McLean, an outreach worker with the Union Gospel Mission, was busy handing out water and hats from the back of a car.
“Hey buddy, you want some water?” he asked a man bending down beside a dumpster in the alley. The man gulped down a couple of cups before accepting a large water bottle and a black cap.
“Stay hydrated,” McLean told him.
About a block away, a man named Bill was sorting through a dumpster to find empties.
The heat wasn’t a problem. The trick, he said, was to wear loose clothing, although he said it is as much to protect him from flies as it is to stay cool.
He had a glass of water, half empty, tucked onto a ledge of the dumpster that he replenished with bottled water handed out by the Union Gospel Mission.
“I’m spacing it out, especially on a day like today,” he said.
McLean’s supplies didn’t last long. Barely 10 minutes later, he ran out of bottled water and caps and began offering cups of water to a growing crowd.
With the prolonged hot weather, the Union Gospel Mission is running out of appropriate gear and is appealing to the public for donations of shirts, shorts, sunscreen, hats or caps, lip balm, and especially bottled water.
“The need is immense and it’s growing,” said spokesman Jeremy Hunka.
While the heat may pose an inconvenience to most people, it hits Downtown Eastside residents hard. Some are homeless or under-housed, others may be dealing with drug addiction or already have compromised health.
“We know the heat when it becomes extreme can be deadly,” said Hunka, referring to the death of Curtis Brick, a 46-year-old homeless man, at Grandview Park in July 2009 on one of the hottest days on record. “People who are homeless don’t have access to cool down or to water like the rest of us, and they are hugely at risk for things like heat exhaustion, sunburn or even heat stroke.”
Donations of much-needed summer items can be dropped off at the Union Gospel Mission thrift shop at 671 East Hastings.
On Wednesday, Environment Canada issued a heat advisory warning for Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. The heat is expected to linger through Thursday, with forecast highs of 27 C, before cooling off on Friday.
As haze from wildfires burning throughout the Pacific Northwest hung over parts of Metro, regional parks are rated at high or extreme risk of fires.
Some have been closed to the public, while campfires have been banned at others.
Port Moody has banned all types of outdoor barbecues, including propane barbecues in its parks and green spaces. Coquitlam has done the same with the exception of a handful of pre-approved parks.
On Wednesday, Metro Vancouver issued an air-quality advisory for eastern parts of Metro and the Fraser Valley due to high concentrations of ground-level ozone, which could affect babies, the elderly, or people with medical conditions such as asthma or heart disease.
In Vancouver, the city has mobilized to help its residents cool down. It has opened cooling centres at community centres and libraries and installed 11 temporary water fountains throughout the city.
At the Carnegie Centre, one of the city’s designated cooling centres, the light-filled gallery on the third floor has been turned into an air-conditioned haven. Water was available at the cafeteria, just off the lobby, while a shaded patio overlooking Main Street was packed.
“Most people live in tiny (singleroom occupancy hotels) ... some are in shelters, others are homeless,” said director Sharon Belli. “We become their home during the day, so we want to make sure they are taken care of.”
The heat doesn’t just affect humans. Pets are also at risk.
The B.C. SPCA said it has received about 600 calls this year about dogs in distress in hot cars — and that doesn’t include calls to police or animal control.
“It can take as little as 10 minutes (for dogs to be in distress), even with the windows down or the car parked in the shade,” said spokeswoman Lorie Chortyk.
She said people who spot a pet inside a hot vehicle shouldn’t break that vehicle’s window, but should instead call police, animal control or the SPCA.