Subject to staff availability, the City will open the Sandman Centre concourse and ensure drinking water is available from 12:00–8:00 pm daily, during heat alert response activations.

Actual opening hours for the indoor cooling sites will be updated and shared on the City’s website and social media when a heat warning is announced.

The City will provide the following heat relief options in outdoor locations during heat alert response activations which will include access to waterparks, drinking fountains with potable water, and washrooms with potable water at various park locations throughout the city.

Water Park locations*

Open daily 10:00 am–9:00 pm. *Subject to operation.

• Albert McGowan Park 
• McDonald Park 
• Prince Charles Park wading pool (Pool closes daily at 8:00 pm)
• Riverside Park 
• Westsyde Centennial Park 

Parks with drinking fountains with potable water

• Aberdeen Hills Park
• Cowan Park
• Juniper Park
• McArthur Island Park
• Overlander Park
• Pioneer Park
• Prince Charles Park
• Riverside Park
• Schubert Park Lookout
• Tournament Capital Ranch

Public Washrooms 

• There are various public washrooms across the City that have access to potable water. View a map of all public washroom locations. Tap on the washroom icon to view specific details and availability.

Residents will be encouraged to check in on their neighbours who may have heat sensitivity or vulnerability. City staff will work with the city’s neighbourhood associations to share the key messaging and promote this initiative through their networks and social media channels.

Prolonged periods of extreme heat can lead to severe illness and death. Heat can affect anyone, but some individuals are more susceptible than others, especially if they do not have access to air conditioning.

Individuals at Risk

• seniors aged 65 years or older
• infants and young children
• people with pre-existing health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease or respiratory disease
• people with mental illness such as schizophrenia, depression, or anxiety
• people who are pregnant
• people with limited mobility
• people who live alone
• people who are marginally housed
• people who work in hot environments
• people with substance use disorders
   

Learn How You Can Help by Reviewing the Following:

• Quick Tips: Neighbourhood Health Check
• Prepared BC: Household Preparedness Guide 
• National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health Extreme Heat Health Checklist

Public transit is currently available in areas of the city with moderate to very high overall heat vulnerability, as identified in Interior Health’s heat vulnerability mapping. For more information on the Kamloops transit system, including schedules and fares, visit BCTransit.com.

During heat events, the City’s Community Service Officers will coordinate outreach and response efforts for people experiencing homelessness with other street outreach programs in community. This will include handing out bottled water to people experiencing homelessness, coordinating transportation to shelters through the Envision shuttle program, looking for signs of heat distress, and taking other appropriate action as needed. As in extreme cold weather events, the shelter system also has the ability to expand and respond during extreme heat events.

In terms of air quality events due to wildfire smoke, the City will share applicable messaging from and as directed by the appropriate health authorities with targeted messaging when the Air Quality Health Index reaches specific risk categories. This may include recommendations to modify outdoor exercise or to exercise indoors; to use a portable air cleaner in homes and places of work (if possible); to visit cleaner air spaces, including shopping malls or the City’s indoor cooling sites; and/or to wear a well-fitted N95 respirator if available.