TORONTO -- COVID-19, underlying health conditions and now, the heat wave are creating a “situation that can very quickly turn deadly” for many Canadians experiencing homelessness, advocates in British Columbia and Alberta warn.
“For those experiencing homelessness, there is no break from the elements,” Nadia Tchoumi, an anti-poverty and homelessness advocate, told CTV News Channel on Tuesday.
During the winter, she said, those experiencing homelessness struggled trying to stay warm. And now in the summer, which has already seen record-breaking hot temperatures, “there’s also the risk of sunburn, dehydration [and] that prolonged exposure in the sun can lead to heat stroke.”
Tchoumi is spokesperson for the Union Gospel Mission, a Vancouver-based organization which has set up cooling centres and is handing out reusable water bottles, light breathable clothing, hats and sunscreen to local homeless populations.
Not only are they disproportionately affected by COVID-19, she said, many are also likely dealing with underlying health conditions, such as addiction or asthma. “You layer in all of these factors and you’ve got a situation that can very quickly turn deadly.”
Other advocates are echoing similar issues in Alberta, where the heat wave has begun spreading.
Elise Short, the community engagement manager at The Calgary Drop-In & Rehab Centre, urged others to remember that “we’re still dealing with an opioid crisis.”
“We have a population of people that need our support and our understanding,” she told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview. “If we're all very lucky to have our own homes, we should think about others during this time when it gets hot or extremely hot.”
Her centre is one of the groups in the city accepting donations and offering supplies such as water, sunscreen, hats and sunglasses. And, in response to the heat, several recreation centres in Calgary and Edmonton have also been set up for people to enter and cool down.
Judith Gale, leader of Bear Clan Patrol Edmonton Beaver Hills House, said those experiencing homelessness in her city face a dire situation.
“The biggest thing is looking for shelter because, quite honestly, anybody that is left on the street will be going to the hospital,” she told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview. “The heat is too much for people to take.”
Gale’s outreach organization is one of several others distributing water to homeless Edmontonians, as well as first aid for heat stroke and sunburns.
“Usually, in the morning, our teams usually take out three flats of water but because of the heat wave we’ve had to double that up,” Gale said, noting her gratefulness that people have been sending donations through an Amazon wish list one of their supporters created.
NO LIMITS ON SOME PLACES TO COOL DOWN
Environment Canada predicted high temperatures for British Columbia on Tuesday, following days of sweltering heat and record-breaking temperatures.
On Monday, the hottest temperature ever recorded in Canada - a staggering 47.9 degrees - was set in Lytton, B.C., shattering the previous record set just the day before. Lytton Mayor Jan Polderman told CTV News Channel that citizens were facing huge challenges coping with conditions rarely experienced this early in the summer.
“The heat is overwhelming,” he said, adding that small window air conditioners are proving to be “insufficient to keep rooms cool.”
Cooling tents have been set up in places across the province including in Abbotsford and Chilliwack. In Vancouver, the city is encouraging residents to use any of its 11 air-conditioned community centres, including all libraries, to cool down or rehydrate.
Like the Union Gospel Mission, Covenant House Vancouver is among several community organizations with temporary cooling centres in their buildings now, too.
Tchoumi is grateful others are “opening their doors and making sure we are there to help our community.”
Even if COVID-19 indoor gathering capacity limits are reached in Vancouver, officials said people won't be turned away by bylaw officers and Tchoumi said that’s “good news.”
