Some of Winnipeg’s most at-risk groups struggling to beat the extreme heat

As of 1 p.m. in Winnipeg, temperatures were sitting at 33 degrees and counting. The humidex for Monday is expected to reach 45, and folks around the city are doing whatever they can to beat the extreme heat. “It’s really hot, and a lot of us can’t afford AC, or not even a fan,” said [...] The post Some of Winnipeg’s most at-risk groups struggling to beat the extreme heat appeared first on CityNews Winnipeg .

As of 1 p.m. in Winnipeg, temperatures were sitting at 33 degrees and counting. The humidex for Monday is expected to reach 45, and folks around the city are doing whatever they can to beat the extreme heat. “It’s really hot, and a lot of us can’t afford AC, or not even a fan,” said Vivian Ketchum, a senior.

Well-known community advocate Vivian Ketchum says despite her AC room unit, the heat is practically unbearable in her 55+ plus building in the South Osborne neighbourhood. On Saturday, when she noticed one of her neighbours struggling, she knew she had to act. “I said, ‘You don’t have AC?’

He said, ‘I only have a fan,’ and he didn’t look well at all; he just went out for a walk, and I realized, I might be fine but my neighbours are not,” she explained. Ketchum put a call out on Facebook, asking for help, which was quickly answered by non-profit Community 204. The next day, a care package of water, fruit, and popsicles was delivered to the building, which were still being enjoyed on Monday afternoon.

Food and water donation. (Courtesy: Vivian Ketchum) “I was raised by grandparents, I was raised by elders, and a lot of the youth that we work with are currently being raised by elders, and I don’t think it’s right for any human to suffer, but in particular our elders need to be supported because they spent their life supporting others,” said Daniel Hidalgo, the founder of Community 204.

Ketchum saying, “We’re 55 plus, we’re on a limited budget, plus we have health issues with the heat, plus a lot of us don’t have teeth to nibble on stuff that’s why I got watermelon.” While the city has set up water stations and opened leisure centres and libraries to cool off, Extreme heat like this can be dangerous, especially for the city’s most vulnerable. “Particularly those in encampments, and those who might not access cooling spaces or emergency shelter spaces, they’re outside all the time,” said Cindy Titus, the interim director of development of the Main Street Project.

Titus says Main Street Project is doing what they can. Their mobile outreach team and emergency shelter have handed out nearly 2,000 bottles of water in the last week, and are in need of donations. “Nearly every interaction is people asking for water or people being provided with water, so bottled water is a really important part of our response in hot weather,” said Titus.

Information on how to donate can be found at the organization’s website . The post Some of Winnipeg’s most at-risk groups struggling to beat the extreme heat appeared first on CityNews Winnipeg .