Tri-City residents took advantage of special cooling centres set up in the communities during last week's heatwave, when temperatures ranged between 35 and 40 C.
Hot conditions between Aug. 11 and 15, culminating with hazy skies and an air quality advisory caused by wildfire smoke blown in from B.C.'s interior, made it unbearable for walkers, bikers and hikers, as well as for residents who didn't have access to proper air-conditioning.
Port Moody, Port Coquitlam and Coquitlam opened cooling centres in their respective communities and hundreds of people capitalized on the opportunity to breathe cleaner air.
PORT MOODY
Close to 70 people in the City of the Arts visited Port Moody's cooling centre in the Civic Centre Galleria (100 Newport Dr.) over a four-day period:
- 15 people on Aug. 11
- 22 people on Aug. 12
- 11 people on Aug. 13
- 19 people on Aug. 14
The galleria had a space capacity of 40 people at a time and was open each day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
In an email to the Tri-City News, city manager Tim Savoie said only one cooling facility was open because of the low attendance the Recreation Complex had during late July's heat wave — seven people in three days.
From July 29 to 31, 68 people visited the Civic Centre Galleria for cooler air.
"In July and August, cooling centres provided our residents and visitors with an opportunity to escape the heat for a while and enjoy a cold drink of water," he explained.
"We believe this was a valuable option to provide as users let us know they appreciated the service. People who came to the cooling centre typically stayed between 30 and 60 minutes."
Port Moody city staff also set up misting tents at Pioneer Memorial Park (275 Knowle St.) and PoMo Rotary SK8 Park (2910 Murray St.).
PORT COQUITLAM
Like Port Moody, only one cooling centre was open to the public in Port Coquitlam as the August heat wave was not as dreadful as June's heat dome when temperatures reached or went above 45 C with humidity.
According to Mayor Brad West, the Port Coquitlam Community Centre (PCCC) welcomed nearly 150 people and three pets between Aug. 11 and 15. They were seeking air-conditioning and cleaner air amid the hot, hazy conditions.
"In addition to operating the cooling centre, city staff also partnered with outreach services to ensure homeless and vulnerable community members had support, including water and were aware of the cooling centre," West said in a social media post on Tuesday (Aug. 17).
"Thank you to all of our staff who went the extra mile to support our residents. We continue to monitor all future alerts from health authorities and will take further action as needed."
The PCCC was open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Residents were also invited to visit the Terry Fox Library for cooler spaces.
COQUITLAM
Coquitlam experienced a low number of visitors, but some traffic at its cooling centres between Aug. 13 and 15.
This included the Glen Pine Pavilion, Poirier Sports and Leisure Complex and City Centre Aquatic Complex:
- 17 people on Aug. 13
- 19 people on Aug. 14
- Four people on Aug. 15
"These numbers are based on our staff’s observation of cooling centre or clean air space use alone: visitors were not required to check-in or disclose whether they attended specifically for cooling/clean air relief or for other purposes," said Coquitlam risk and emergency manager Nicole Kimmitt in an email to the Tri-City News.
Its nine spray parks and two outdoor pools — Eagle Ridge and Spani — were also open during the heat wave.
