Two cooling centres are now open in Burnaby in response to the hot weather.
The cooling centres are located at Burnaby Civic Square (McKay Avenue and Central Boulevard) and Kensington Park (Frances Street and Fell Avenue) and are open from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Run by the Society to End Homelessness in Burnaby, the two centres open when the temperature is 29 C or more for two days in a row.
The centres have free water and food, as well as cooling cloths, sunscreen, hygiene and harm reduction supplies, board games, access to outreach workers and more, according to the society. RCMP give out cooling kits made of bags with water, snacks and powder electrolytes for unsheltered people.
Misting stations are one of the most popular amenities offered, with summer camp kids, cyclists, library workers, dog-walkers and more all appreciating a reprieve from the heat, according to Carol-Ann Flanagan, executive director for the Society to End Homelessness in Burnaby.
Flanagan described the cooling centres as one of the city's most valuable assets.
"Everybody's in the same boat: they're all hot, they're trying to cool down," Flanagan said. "They're very, very community-oriented."
Last year, the cooling centres served 2,616 people between the two sites, Flanagan said, who presented to Burnaby council on the society's cooling centre efforts and data last October.
The centres, which are low-barrier and open to everyone, were open for a total of 23 days in 2021.
With the temperature expected to cool July 21, the centres will close until the weather heats up again.
Volunteers wanted
If you are available to volunteer as part of the extreme heat response team, you can fill out an online volunteer application or contact [email protected] for more information.
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