City of Ottawa opens emergency cooling centres as heatwave roils on

A firefighter cooling down at Richardson Side Road fire. Photo courtesy of Ottawa Fire Services.

Two emergency cooling centres opened Monday and four more on Tuesday to provide relief from the heat to residents in need.

Opening on Monday, June 28 until 7 pm:

• City Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue West (Sports Hall of Fame – 1st Floor Heritage building)
• Plant Recreation Centre, 930 Somerset Street West 

The following sites will be open on Tuesday, June 29:

• Plant Recreation Centre, 930 Somerset Street West
• Jules Morin Park Fieldhouse, 400 Clarence Street East
• Ron Kolbus Lakeside Centre, 102 Greenview Avenue
• Overbrook Community Centre, 33 Quill Street

Emergency cooling centres at facilities will be open from 11 am to 7 pm. The City is prepared to extend the operation of cooling centres into Wednesday, June 30, if required.

The emergency cooling centres are set up to ensure users can practice proper physical distancing and have access to water. Residents should bring a mask with them to the cooling centres if they have one.

Heat warnings issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada mean extra precautions need to be taken by everyone. While City splashpads, beaches, wading pools and outdoor pools have opened, some of the other ways we cool off may not be available this summer because of measures put in place to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus. 

It will be important to think ahead and plan for ways to stay cool while respecting Public Health COVID-19 prevention measures. Keep in touch with others who may not be able to stay cool, especially during a heat warning. Ottawa Public Health has information on how to Beat the Heat this summer. Heat illnesses are preventable. Residents are encouraged to stay cool at home using the Beat the Heat tips such as taking cool showers and using fans or air conditioning during the heat warning.