The cooling centre at 285 Prideaux St. will be open beyond the current heat wave. (Spencer Sterritt/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Spencer Sterritt

reprieve

Cooling station opens in downtown Nanaimo

Jun 28, 2021 | 2:42 PM

NANAIMO — A valuable resource to those in need is now a place to cool down in response to a record-breaking heatwave.

The 7-10 Club at 285 Prideaux St. is now operating as an emergency cooling centre from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., where anyone can drop in for sandwiches and water.

Support worker Kiera Smith said they opened on Saturday June 26 and they’ll stay open until July 10.

“It was slow at the beginning because the word hadn’t gotten around, but today its picked up. We have about the same amount this morning as we had throughout our first day.”

Nine people came in to cool down by noon, at which point it was already roughly 33 degrees outside.

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Smith said having spaces available are critical during increasingly hot summers.

“It’s hard to find anywhere to escape. There’s barely any shady spots and even there it’s hot. Most of the time they’re getting kicked off of properties when they do find shade.”

Smith said it’s only been people experiencing homelessness who’ve visited so far, but they hope anyone in need of water and a space to cool off will drop by.

Many agencies or organizations are shifting with record-breaking heat clamped down on the area.

Oceanside Place arena in Parksville was open on Monday as a cooling centre. The Unitarian Shelter on Townsite Rd. started opening its doors at 1 p.m. instead of 5 p.m. and the City of Nanaimo turned on a mister at a pavilion in Maffeo Sutton Park.

Temperatures are expected to cool mid-week but a hotter than average summer is expected.

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spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @SpencerSterritt