City opens seven cooling centres

With extreme heat warnings, Toronto aims to stay cool

A cooling centre has been set up at the East York Civic Centre, one of seven locations in Toronto. Kirk Budden/Toronto Observer

Toronto is fighting back against the current heat waves with cooling centres in local areas.

With extreme heat warnings the city’s Hot Weather response plan and the Office of Emergency Management opened seven cooling centres around the city.

The cooling centres feature volunteers waiting at tables and signs setup to show the public where to go. They have cold water, air-conditioning and flyers on how to beat the heat available when you arrive.

The centres are available only when the city has issued extreme heat warnings and extended heat warnings.

Volunteers have been set up at the East York Civic Centre since Thursday.

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(Kirk Budden/Toronto Observer)

“People come in and you can see the heat is getting to them. We get them water, sit down and talk and they leave feeling much better,” one volunteer said. “People bring their pets in too, it’s really helping everyone get out of the heat.”

There are seven such centres opened in the city. All have the same operating hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The centres will continue to stay open until the city removes the heat warnings.

Public can find cooling centres nearest to them online.

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 (Kirk Budden/Toronto Observer)

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Posted: Sep 8 2016 3:39 pm
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