The City of Ottawa Heat, Cold and Smog Planning Committee has new and updated resources to share with the community ahead of the 2022 hot weather season. Heat-related illnesses and deaths are preventable. This year, the removal of provincial pandemic restrictions will increase the ways we can cool off in Ottawa, with more public and private spaces available. The public is also welcome to seek access to air conditioning at all City facilities during regular hours of operation. For these reasons, Emergency Cooling Centers will be opened this summer only if there is a concurrent situation that requires an enhanced response, such as a power outage affecting a specific ward or a heat dome weather event.
New and updated Beat the Heat resources:
- Updated 2022 Beat the Heat factsheet that identifies public places to cool off in Ottawa and ways to cool down without air conditioning. This fact sheet will be available in eight languages before the end of May – English, French, Arabic, Nepali, Punjabi, Simple Chinese, Somali, and Spanish. (English and French versions attached)
- New interactive map of places to Beat the Heat in Ottawa that will be on Ottawa Public Health’s Extreme Heat and Humidity website in June 2022.
- What to do if there is a power outage during a heat wave.
- Sign up for Environment and Climate Change Canada EC Alert me emails or download the WeatherCAN app weather warnings.
- Get advice and support:
- Call 2-1-1 for social services assistance.
- Call 3-1-1 and/or Ottawa Public Health 613-580-6744 for information and assistance on staying cool during a heat wave.
- Call 8-1-1 Health Connect Ontario for non-emergency medical advice or 9-1-1 for medical emergency such as heat stroke.
- The “Find Your Way Community Resource Guide” provides contact information for services such as shelters and drop-in centres.
- Printable posters from Health Canada on ways to protect you and loved ones during an extreme heat event.
The City of Ottawa Extreme Heat, Cold and Smog Planning Committee is looking ahead and planning for the future to ensure Ottawa is ready to adapt to increasingly hotter and longer summers due to climate change. This committee is made up of City Departments and community partners including The Salvation Army Outreach Services, the Canadian Red Cross Ottawa Branch, and Ottawa Community Housing. We meet regularly to update our plan and coordinate activities.
I encourage residents to visit Ottawa Public Health Extreme Heat and Humidity web page or call OPH at 613-580-6744.
