Edited: The cooling centre will be open until 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday.
There will be few places on island as cool as Bowen Island Library this weekend.
With another heat wave set to peak Thursday and Friday this week, and as Bowen Island Municipality has few air conditioned facilities, the library annex is a designated cooling centre. Anyone needing to cool down is welcome to go sit in the space.
The centre will be open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday. Friday it will be open from 10 a.m. to either 5 p.m. or 8 p.m. (the latter if volunteers are found). Saturday it will be open from noon until 4 p.m. or 8 p.m. (the latter if volunteers are found.)
Bowen's beaches provide other opportunities to cool down, with nearly 50 public beaches and coastal access points on-island.
Temperatures on the North Shore are expected to reach highs of 29 degrees, with overnight lows not dropping below 16 degrees overnight, Environment Canada has warned. Temperatures are expected to peak Thursday and Friday, with some inland areas in the south coast reaching highs of 35 C.
Everyone is urged to drink plenty of water, seek out air-conditioned spaces, such as a public library or cooling station, and avoid spending extended periods of time in the sun.
Anyone exhibiting quickly deteriorating symptoms — including chest pain, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath — should call 911 or visit the nearest emergency department.
– With files from Jane Seyd, North Shore News; Stefan Labbé, Glacier Media
