The city of Winnipeg is offering ways for people, especially those experiencing homelessness, a way to cool off during the extreme heat to start the week.
There is a heat warning in effect for the city of Winnipeg and southern Manitoba as daytime highs will be in the low to mid-thirties and overnight lows may only drop to 16 degrees, lasting until Wednesday.
The city is sharing four water tanks to give residents access to clean drinking water. They are located at:
- 888 Main St. at Stella Avenue (near Mount Carmel Clinic)
- 300 Princess St. (near Siloam Mission)
- 364 Furby St. (near Agape Table)
- 190 Disraeli Fwy. (near N’Dinawemak)
On top of offering clean drinking water to help with dehydration, Winnipeg's leisure centres and libraries will be available for residents to cool off.
As part of the 2024 city budget, over $1 million was allocated for 24/7 Safe Spaces in Winnipeg. This includes Velma’s House, West End 24/7, St. Boniface Street Links, and N’Dinawemak. All these buildings provide a safe, welcoming place that's open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. On top of providing basic needs, they also provide referrals to health, housing, income assistance, and crisis counselling services.
The city is encouraging everyone to watch for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke and to try and prevent it. A few ways to do this are to wear loose clothing, find shade, and keep hydrated. People experiencing health conditions, the elderly or very young, are more susceptible to getting a heat illness in temperatures in the low to mid-thirties.