TDRC brings a picnic and fun to

Metro Hall Cooling Centre

Extreme Heat Alert - vulnerable Torontonians need more than a bottle of water!

Sunday, July 17 at 12:30

Metro Hall (King and John) - King Street entrance

"Heat waves are special disasters because they pinpoint the poor."

New York University sociologist, Eric Klinenberg

The Coroner's Office has now reported at least 4 heat-related deaths in the City of Toronto and acknowledges more deaths are likely to occur. Not every heat related death in hospital would necessarily come to the Coroner's attention. Paramedics report that 13 of the busiest days they've had have occurred on recent heat wave days. One man they brought to hospital was reported to still be in Intensive Care yesterday.

The only 24 hour cooling centre operated in the entire City of Toronto during an Extreme Heat Alert is situated in a lobby and public thoroughfare at Metro Hall, ironically, a building where the amount of air conditioning has been reduced for environmental reasons. Three divisions of the City are involved in running it: Toronto Public Health, EMS and Shelter Housing and Support. Red Cross has the contract for operating it and have been directed to only provide water and to not put cots out unless there is a medical emergency.

A cooling centre is intended to provide a cooling space for vulnerable populations in a heat wave. These include: seniors, people living in rooming or boarding homes, people who are homeless, other groups including families and people with chronic illness who live in housing that becomes overbearingly hot and who require respite. Without doubt there are thousands of people in these categories in the City of Toronto. Yet there is little to entice them or to assist them to get to this centre. Many, without access to a TV, radio or phone may still be unaware of the cooling centre, and certainly would not have the means to get there.

So, if a person does make it to the cooling centre they will receive a bottle of Nestle water (or two!) and can sit in a chair for a few hours. There are no snacks, no juices, no sandwiches. There are no cots to lie down on. There are no games to play, or TV or videos to watch to pass the time. When you leave, you are left to your own resources to make your way across the city to your home, if you have one.

The TDRC will bring a picnic and some fun to the cooling centre on Sunday. People deserve more than a bottle of water.

Why so stingy?

As Street Nurse Cathy Crowe points out "the Red Cross gives you cookies and juice if you give blood and they let you lie down. Severe heat is known to cause electrolyte imbalance and changes in glucose and caloric needs. Where are Torontonians' donations to Red Cross going if all they are providing is water?"

City staff say there is no budget for food or snacks at the cooling centres, and besides there are nuts in cookies. Yet there is often food for City Councillors and for other committee meetings. "Last week at our Board of Health meeting there was juice, bottled water, lots of great chocolate chip cookies (maybe with nuts), fruits and vegetables and cheeses!" says Crowe, who is also a Board of Health member.

Sarah Ayers, from TDRC was impressed when she began to research heat plans in other jurisdictions. Several operate fan or air conditioning loan programs, a central registry for checking on vulnerable people and transportation systems to the nearest cooling centre. "I hope I will not be adding the name of a homeless person who has succumbed to the heat on the memorial list at the next homeless memorial in August."

To learn more about TDRC's short and long-term recommendations on this heat emergency see Killer Heat on www.tdrc.net