Montreal homeless advocates rush to help city's vulnerable fend off heat

Staff and volunteers at Montreal's Old Brewery Mission have been distributing sunscreen, food and water to the city's homeless population to help them fend off the heat.

"We see a lot of sunburns," said Scott Arnold, who has been working at the homeless organization for 15 years.

With yet another heat wave gripping southern Quebec, the mission is providing access to showers, feeding those in need and allowing people to nap indoors during the day.

Yet, when clients leave at the end of the day, it's clear they still "need a lot more help than what they are receiving but we are doing the best we can with what we have," Arnold said.

The emergency shelter is still implementing physical distancing measures indoors, meaning there is less indoor space available.

""Obviously it gets hard to say no to somebody, especially when you've always been there in the past to help them out, but then because of constraints with space capacity and things, having to say no — it's heartbreaking," said Arnold.

Women's shelter needs renovations

The mission's women's shelter is dealing with the same issue, so staff there have taken services on the road.

Neila Ben Ayed, director of women's services, said the shelter is using a shuttle to distribute cold water downtown and to check on people to ensure they are staying safe under the sun.

However, that's not enough, she said. The building used to provide women emergency overnight shelter and other services is in need of renovations. For starters, a new air conditioner would help.

Ben Ayed is calling on the  provincial government to double the shelter's budget to ensure clients are better served.

"The building is getting old. We would like to offer quality spaces, quality environment to those who come through our doors," she said.

"We have to think about next summer. I have A/C but it's getting old. Some renovations have to be done."

Hot days and nights in Quebec

With climate change, Quebec is seeing not just hotter days, but hotter nights as well and heat waves anywhere are known to be deadly.

In the summer of 2018, 66 people died during a heat wave in Montreal. 

Montreal city officials have launched a number of measures in the years since in effort to prevent heat-related deaths, including a special intervention plan when the city is facing extreme heat.

This time around, the city is reminding citizens that there are ways to cool off when a heat warning is in effect.

Air-conditioned public places (such as libraries and shopping centres), indoor and outdoor swimming pools, wading pools, splash pads and beaches are among the places people can try to beat the heat, the city said in a statement Tuesday. 

The city is encouraging people to wear light clothing, limit physical activity and drink plenty of water.

A warm and humid air mass will affect the province of Quebec until Friday, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.

The days will be hot with humidex values reaching 40, the federal agency says, and it will remain warm and uncomfortable at night with lows near 20 C until Friday.