OKANAGAN: Community Cooling Centres Activated

Hey everyone, the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations centre has been activated to support the opening of several cooling centres, in response to the heat warning issued by Environment Canada, and has circulated an information bulletin with additional information — we are passing on the information in that bulletin here for you.

Elevated temperatures over several days put seniors, children, people with underlying health conditions and those who do not have access to air conditioning at greater risk of heat-related illness.

Starting June 27, the following locations will be available as cooling centres for the community:

City of Kelowna

  • Parkinson Activity Centre, 1700 Parkinson Way, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
  • Rutland Activity Centre, 765 Dodd Rd., 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

City of West Kelowna

  • Lakeview Heights Baptist Church, 2630 Alhambra Dr., 11:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

District of Peachland

  • Peachland Community Centre, 4450 6th Street, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

The Central Okanagan Emergency Operations bulletin outlines COVID-19 safety at cooling centres:

  • Centres will follow Provincial Health Orders for COVID-19 to keep populations safe
  • Centres will have supplies of water, masks and hand sanitizer on-hand
  • Physical distancing measures will be in place
  • Wearing masks in the cooling centres is required per the guidelines for cooling centres from the BC Centre for Disease Control.

The cooling centres will remain open until the heat wave subsides. Additional cooling centres may open in the coming week. Keep an eye on local news and cordemergency.ca. CORD Emergency officials recommend checking on neighbours and family to ensure that they are staying cool, keeping hydrated and determining whether they need any assistance.

STAY COOL: Heat Warning issued

Hey everyone, a heat warning has been issued by Environment Canada for much of the Province, including the Okanagan and the West Kootenays. Record temperatures are in the forecast from Saturday until Tuesday. Watch for heat-related illness, and be aware of the increased risk of wildfires due to drought conditions.

We’ve got information posted on sun safety on our Health and Safety page and we’ve posted SPOTLIGHTS on sun safety on our blog. There are also tips and resources on weather hazards and safety on the Government of Canada website, including how you can prepare for summer weather.

The Government of Canada website also has a page for natural hazards with information about Wildfires here.

Stay safe and healthy, and stay cool!

JUNE 2021: Pride month!

Hey everyone! Many communities in Canada and around the world are celebrating diversity throughout June 2021 as PRIDE month.

We thought we would take this opportunity to highlight some PRIDE activities, resources, and organizations for you here:

Let us know in the comments what’s going on in your community for Pride month!

JUNE 28: CLBC COVID-19 Update

Hey everyone, CLBC has invited staff, support workers, and home sharing providers join in their teleconference on Monday, June 28, from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. (PDT) with Nicholas Simons, Minister, Social Development and Poverty Reduction, and Dr. Bonnie Henry, Provincial Health Officer, to provide a COVID-19 update and to recognize the diligent and brave work of frontline support workers.

Call in: 1-877-353-9184 (participant code: 40896#)
Special Instructions:  Please start dialing in at 10:20 a.m.

You are invited to pre-submit COVID questions to CLBCInfo@gov.bc.ca by 12 p.m. on Thursday, June 24, using the words “JUNE 28 CALL” in the subject line.

For the latest information from CLBC, please visit their COVID-19 web page for service providers here.  You can also check out their full bulletin here.

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