Heat wave puts Ottawa’s homeless population at risk, shelters and volunteers step up

With temperatures in the mid-30s, staff from the Ottawa Mission are out in full force helping those experiencing homelessness. CTV’s Josh Marano reports.

Ottawa’s ongoing heat wave is creating challenges for the city’s homeless population struggling to find relief from the extreme conditions.

At the Ottawa Mission, staff have ramped up measures to help protect vulnerable individuals from the heat, filling up backpacks with cold bottles of water and distributing them to those in need.

Catherine, a front-line supervisor at the Mission who could not share her full name, says with conditions the way they are, the role of the shelter is vital.

“On a 20 C day, we’re looking for different things than a day like today,” Catherine said.

“People might go seek shade and go lay down, so we’re just trying to really keep our eyes out and make sure that we’re monitoring changes in behavior too. If someone’s looking good one hour, but looking a little bit worse the next, we’re able to see those signs.”

Staff at the shelter are out nearly every hour handing out water and making sure individuals are withstanding the conditions.

“We’re outside year-round and the needs of our clients outside change as time goes by,” Catherine says. “When we’re in the summer, we’re almost always going to have water with us.”

Along with water, first aid kits are also often brought with them in case of an emergency. Sunscreen and seasonal clothing like ballcaps and short-sleeve shirts are also available inside.

According to staff, the Mission sees more people seeking shelter, meals and relief during extreme weather conditions and can take a toll on its resources, especially staffing.

“The Mission is a great example of people coming together to try to serve the community as best we can. It’s definitely one of those times where we just kind of have to work together to meet the needs of the people we try to serve here effectively,” Catherine says.

Environment Canada predicts the hot and humid conditions could linger until Wednesday, but the Mission says they are prepared to help all who need it.

“These are the guys we see every day, this is our community, so it’s important to us to make sure our community is connected and supported and that no one gets left behind during weather events like this,” Catherine said.

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