Mayor’s Monday Mailbag – July 17, 2023 – How Does the City Help Residents During a Heat Warning?

Mayor's Mailbag
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Welcome to the Mayor’s Monday Mailbag, an initiative Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward and the Mayor’s Office launched to share weekly answers to questions from the public we’ve received through our main email inbox at mayor@burlington.ca or the Mayor’s social media platforms.At the end of the month, we publish a roundup of those most pressing questions we’ve received in the weeks prior.Mayor’s Monday Mailbag – July 17, 2023QUESTION:"How does the City of Burlington help residents during extremely hot days?”ANSWER:To help keep our residents cool and safe when the weather gets too hot, the City of Burlington has cooling centres available during heat warnings.Heat warnings are issued by Halton Region when temperatures are expected to be at least 31°C and overnight temperatures are above 20°C for at least 3 days or humidex is at least 40 for at least 2 days. You can learn more about the precautions you can take to stay cool when the temperatures and humidity are high and sign up to receive heat alerts from Halton Region at www.halton.ca.Cooling CentresWhen a heat warning is issued by Halton Region, residents can stay cool at all open Burlington Public Library branches:

On extreme heat days, pets may come inside with their owners to cool off, too. You may be asked to stay in a designated area with your pet for the well-being of all library visitors.Heat warnings are issued when very high temperature or humidity conditions could pose a serious risk of heat illnesses, such as heat stroke or heat exhaustion. Never ignore symptoms! Seek shade, drink water, and get medical help right away if you or someone you know has rapid breathing, weakness or fainting, a headache, or confusion.You can learn more at bpl.on.ca/heat and burlington.caExtreme Weather Shelter SupportNotices of extreme weather alerts are posted on the City's website here: www.burlington.ca/Modules/News/en/NewsNotices?page=2. You can subscribe to receive these notices directly in your email inbox when a new notice is posted.After hours and overnight, Halton Region has agreements with local motels to provide emergency shelter until more permanent housing can be secured for any individual in need.Halton Region also operates a shelter for women and children (located in Burlington) and a shelter for men (located in Oakville), that serve all Halton residents. We recently addressed the issue of supports and shelter for people who are experiencing homelessness in a previous Monday Mayor’s Mailbag here: mariannemeedward.ca/mayors-mailbag-january-2023-roundup-mental-health-resources-arts-culture-fund-homelessness-support/This method of providing temporary accommodation for houseless individuals in need provides privacy, comfort and dignity for the individual in need, who will also be connected to all other wrap-around services Halton provides. This service is provided year-round, 24/7, 365 days, in hot weather and cold, and is a more comprehensive, specialized response to individuals in need than a temporary centre can provide.If you know someone who is homeless and needs assistance, please direct them to 311 or accesshalton@halton.ca for assistance. After hours, you can contact the Halton Regional Police Services non-emergency line and they will dispatch their Community Outreach And Support Team (COAST) to contact the individual and offer available supports.

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Mayor Meed Ward’s Weekly Update: July 17-23, 2023