Above-seasonal temperatures brought residents to beaches, patios and garden centres across Ottawa on Thursday as eastern Ontario experienced an early summer sizzle. Environment Canada forecast a high of 30 C, about seven degrees above the seasonal normal of 23 C, but still, temperatures remained below any daily records. At Peter Knippel Nursery & Garden Centre, the warmer weather had customers preparing gardens and flower beds after what owner Kennedy Johnston says has been a slow start to the growing season. “It’ll be great for growing,” says Johnston. “And the slower spring start isn’t all that bad because it does give the plants time to get into the season.” Johnston says the best time to plant is when the weather is cooler with gray skies and even rain in the forecast. But planting can still be done on hot sunny days, as long as it’s done with care. “Plants are growing, so they’re pushing out a lot of new growth. So that’s stressful for them,” he says. “So, they need the water to support that. It’s very important they get lots of water on hot days.” For gardeners looking for hardy options during hot weather, Johnston recommends heat-tolerant varieties such as dianthus. At Mooney’s Bay Beach, families sought relief from the heat despite city beaches remaining unsupervised until June 20. Lindsay Highland, who brought her daughter Alia to the shoreline to dip her toes into the cool water, says the hot weather offers a chance to spend time outdoors. “Seeing our daughter just be able to play freely in such a big, beautiful space and enjoy the sun. There’s just nothing like it,” she says. “And we’re building lots of sand, castles and little cities over on the beach. It’s just the best.” Health officials are reminding residents to take precautions as the temperature climbs, including keeping hydrated, seeking shade and watching for symptoms of heat-related illness like heavy sweating, headache and nausea. “Number one is to try to take breaks from the heat, whether it’s in the shade and the air-conditioned areas,” says Marc-Antoine Deschamps with Ottawa Paramedic Service. “It’s also important to try to stay away from caffeine and alcoholic beverages because it can actually make things much worse.” Deschamps added that checking in on vulnerable friends, family members and neighbours can also help prevent heat-related illnesses. Advocacy group ACORN Canada says prolonged periods of summer heat can be especially difficult for the vulnerable population and that nearly half of low-income tenants are living without air conditioning. The group is calling for change from all levels of government and for the City of Ottawa to adopt a maximum heat bylaw for rental housing. “July and August are when things hit the hardest,” says Sharon Katz, a member with ACORN Ottawa. “We want the city to enact a maximum heat bylaw so that landlords are required to not let the heat go above 26 degrees. Some people get sick from the heat. And the people who are sort of healthy enough to get out and go to an official cooling center, but the ones you don’t hear about are the people who are too frail or too old to get out and they are the ones that suffer the most.” Ottawa’s supervised beaches at Mooney’s Bay, Britannia, Westboro and Petrie Island are scheduled to begin daily lifeguard service from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. on June 20. The city’s seasonal wading pools are also expected to open around the same time.
