The City of Prince George says several indoor spaces will be available for members of the public who wish to cool down this week.
Even with temperatures bouncing between 10 to 15 degrees above seasonal, cooling stations will not be activated through the city’s emergency management division at this time.
The reason is – daytime temperatures will not meet the provincial Heat Alert Response System.
Manager of Emergency Programs, Tanya Spooner told MyPGNow.com the facilities they are making available won’t be hard to find.
“City hall is available if you are in the downtown core and just need a break from the heat you can just pop on in. Any of the arenas and all of our city spaces are air-conditioned so those are good places to go as well as public spaces like the Pine Centre Mall.”
“We of course are always supportive of the Public Library in really hot weather not only has the nice air-conditioned spaces but when we activate our cooling centres will also provide cool drinks there as well.”
The city adds the spray park normally opens on the May long weekend but due to the warmer temperatures – the parks team adjusted the work and opened it on May 3rd.
However, Spooner noted residents should be strategic as to when they go.
“Being out in that cold water may be refreshing but you still are in that heat and want to be hydrating and also using plenty of sunscreen. I would still recommend avoiding it during the heat of the day as it will be really easy to burn out there.”
In addition, the Pounds Project located at 1126 3rd Ave has opened its doors to the public from 11 am to 8 pm to anyone that needs a place to avoid the heat offering water, Gatorade, and snacks.
A Special Weather Statement from Environment Canada remains in place for PG and much of northern BC.
Daily temperatures throughout the week are expected to bounce between 25 and 29 degrees.