1 taken to ER during Vancouver Island's first summer heatwave
After a long and cold spring, a recent heatwave on Vancouver Island seemed to be welcomed by many, and fortunately it appears to have been less dangerous than last year's fatal heat dome.
Health risks and temperatures this weekend were lower than when the heat dome peaked last year, bringing temperatures to near 40 degrees on Vancouver Island on June 27 and 28, 2021.
According to Environment Canada, temperatures reached highs near 30 C over the weekend in Victoria.
On Saturday, the highest temperature in Victoria was 29.2 C, on Sunday temperatures reached 30.8 C, and on Monday temperatures hit a high of 29.5 C, according to the weather organization.
Island Health tells CTV News that one person was brought to an island emergency room for heat-related reasons over the weekend, while the BC Coroners Service says no deaths related to heat were confirmed as of Monday.
It's a far cry from the 55 people who died of heat-related reasons on Vancouver Island during the heat dome last year. Across the province, 619 people are believed to have died due to heat-related illnesses in late June and early July 2021, according to the BC Coroners Service.
AIR-CONDITIONER SALES SPIKE
In general, Vancouver Island residents who spoke with CTV News on Monday said they felt better informed and better prepared for this year's heat wave.
While temperatures weren't set to break records, staff at the New Horizons senior centre in James Bay took extra steps to ensure peoples safety.
"We're more aware that people are alone or not necessarily going out," said Kim Dixon with New Horizon. "So we do a little checkup system."
Our Place also took steps to prepare for the heat, as homeless people can be vulnerable to extreme temperatures.
Grant Mackenzie, director of communications for Our Place, says the removal of COVID restrictions allowed for more people to come into its air-conditioned spaces.
"We can have well over 100 people into our drop-in space, which is air conditioned and is cool," he said.
Peter Fargey with Ross Bay Home Hardware says air-conditioning units have also been flying off the shelves since January.
"We probably have sold more air conditioners this year than we've sold in the last 10 years," he said.
With summer well underway, BC Hydro and the BC SPCA have released tips on how to manage heat in homes and for pets.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Angst and calls for resting places as Surrey, B.C., pet cemetery development continues
A single headstone is all that remains of dozens of markers for long-buried pets in a subdivision in Surrey’s Newton neighbourhood, where a half-acre parcel bears a large sign announcing the proposed construction of new homes.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.