Canadians felt summer heat across much of the county Wednesday, as sweltering temperatures and high humidity led to discomfort for many and health emergencies for some.

In Toronto, temperatures topped out at 36 degrees Celsius by 4 p.m., according to Environment Canada, prompting the city to issue an extreme heat alert.

With high humidity, the air in Toronto felt closer to 44 C and the city broke a new record for July 4.

People looking to cool down flocked to city pools, eight of which had their hours extended to 11:45 p.m.

“We are in full operational mode and we are ready to handle the late-night activity,” said City of Toronto Aquatics supervisor Gary Sanger.

In Windsor, where the mercury hit a sweltering 38 C by 6 p.m., doctors at the Windsor Regional Hospital saw an upswing in the number of patients suffering because of the high temperatures.

“Over the past week we have seen, roughly, one to two patients per day who have come to the hospital with heat related emergencies,” said Dr. Donald Levy.

But the heat wasn’t all bad.

Soaring temperatures meant booming business for anyone selling fans or repairing air conditioning units.

A Canadian Tire store in Toronto reported selling out of many fan models.

“A lot of the bigger models we have, but some of the smaller ones, we have sold out quite a bit,” said Canadian Tire employee Amber Wreaks.

For air conditioning businesses, it became a question of which home to get to first.

“I don’t mind it. It is good for business and soon enough we will be complaining that it is too cold and in the snow, so I don’t mind at all,” said air conditioner repairman Craig Butler.

The high temperatures extended west and east, too, with Winnipeg topping out at 29 C and Montreal hitting a high of 28 C, according to Environment Canada.

St. John’s even reached a high of 24 C -- much cooler than Windsor, but still warm compared to the city’s average high temperature of 19 C on July 4.

Those seeking a break from the heat will have to wait a few more days, at least. Hot temperatures are expected to persist into the weekend.

With files from CTV’s Scott Laurie