The temperature in a village in B-C’s southern Interior reached a scorching 46.1 degrees Celsius yesterday, marking a new all-time high recorded in Canada. The reading from Environment Canada in Lytton showed the mercury surpassed the previous record of 45 degrees set in Saskatchewan in 1937. A heat warning is in effect for most of Western Canada and the weather agency says numerous daily temperature records have been shattered across B-C. Temperatures are expected to begin cooling tomorrow, and should reach normal numbers in the high 20s by the weekend.
The weather is also causing more records to break! BC Hydro is shattering records for power usage, saying it expects the new record for peak hourly demand during the summer set over the weekend could be broken today as the heat wave peaks. The Crown utility says demand on Saturday night surpassed the previous record set last August, though it’s reassuring customers its system can meet demand. It says peak hourly demand is usually recorded on weekdays when customers follow a more routine schedule, which makes Saturday’s record even more unique.It suggests closing drapes and blinds to block out heat and opting for smaller appliances when cooking to save money and keep cool.
While the school year may almost over, many schools have cancelled classes for today over concerns about extreme heat and reports that teachers have measured temperatures in the 40s in some classrooms. School districts in Abbotsford, langley, mission, Delta and others have cancelled classes out of what they are calling an abundance of caution, With BC Teachers Federation president Terri Mooring saying no one should be in a non air conditioned classroom with temperatures up to 40 degrees, but it will up to each district to decide on their own.
A newly released Canada-wide survey found nearly 30 per cent of respondents admitted to breaking COVID-19 rules — and felt justified doing so. The University of Saskatchewan asked one-thousand people between June 1st and June 14th about how closely they had followed public-health measures. Some 29 per cent of respondents said they broke at least one rule, mostly around gathering sizes and mask wearing. Younger people were more likely to break gathering limits across the board, while residents of Quebec and the Prairies were more likely to break indoor limits.
Sweltering temperatures have spurred Fraser Health to divert clients away from some COVID-19 testing and vaccine clinics between Burnaby and Mission. The health authority says testing and immunization are continuing at clinics affected by the heat until noon each day, before the midday heat sets in. People attending a first-dose walk-in or a scheduled appointment after 12 p-m are being directed to local clinics where temperatures are more easily controlled. The affected sites are the Burnaby, Mission, South Surrey, Coquitlam, Langley and Surrey 66 COVID-19 Testing and Immunization Centres, as well as the Abbotsford Ag-Rec Centre Immunization Clinic.
A new wildfire that flared up this morning just outside Peachland, west of Highway 97, has closed the main route through the south Okanagan until further notice. The B-C Wildfire Service says the fire is considered out-of-control and a 10 person crew, backed by Peachland firefighters, is aggressively attacking the flames, which have charred less than a hectare and are not threatening any homes. The blaze comes as Natural Resources Canada forest ecologist Yan Boulanger says a heat wave across much of Western Canada has pushed the wildfire risk to what he calls “extremely extreme.” Another wildfire scientist agrees, but Mike Flannigan adds the hot weather has put a lid on lightning storms — and that may actually help the situation in the short term.
The hot weather has led to an air quality advisory for Abbotsford and Chilliwack in the Fraser Valley and for sections of eastern Metro Vancouver. Environment Canada says the weather system is pinning down high concentrations of ground-level ozone — the harmful gas cooked up when pollution from vehicles mixes with other pollutants and then combines with sunshine. The stagnant air is unable to escape, potentially causing problems for the very young, the very old, pregnant women or people with breathing difficulties, heart disease or other illnesses. The highest concentrations of ground-level ozone occur from mid-afternoon to early evening and the weather says those affected should stay indoors or choose less strenuous activities.
WorkSafe B-C has issued guidelines for employers on a careful and gradual move away from COVID-19 safety plans once the province moves to the next stage of its restart plan. The agency says the switch to preventing COVID-19 as a communicable disease puts into practice recent advice by provincial health officer Doctor Bonnie Henry. It’s asking employers to ensure that fundamental practices like handwashing and personal hygiene are followed before the regular season of respiratory illness begins in the fall and to ask ill employees to stay home. The agency is expecting more direction on whether masks should continue to be worn as employers slowly shift to taking on new responsibilities over the coming weeks and months.
The province is providing 12-million dollars in funding to help First Nations investigate or commemorate residential school sites where children’s remains may be located. It says a number of nations have asked for help in determining the next steps for searching other sites following the recent discovery at the former residential school site in Kamloops. It says the funding will also go toward programs to help community members experiencing trauma after the remains of what are believed to be the remains of 215 children were found. The head of the First Nations Health Council says the money is an important first step in supporting the healing of Indigenous people in B-C.
RCMP investigate after public reports of a dog in a crate strapped to the rear of a recreational trailer travelling between the lower mainland and the South Okanagan. On June 27 at 8:21 p.m., the Keremeos RCMP received a call from a concerned member of the public after they recognized a recreational trailer travelling on Highway 3, east bound toward Osoyoos that was previously posted to social media showing a dog in a crate on the rear of the RV. Patrols were made by both Keremeos and Osoyoos RCMP with no further sightings. “On June 27, 2021 several media agencies contacted the RCMP looking into the matter,” states Sgt Jason Bayda, Media Relations Officer for the Penticton South Okanagan Regional RCMP. “At the time, the location of the RV and wellbeing of the dog was unknown. I am pleased to tell you, that thank you to the public and media’s attention to this incident, the dog has now been located in Oliver, BC and is doing well.” The Oliver RCMP are working with assistance from SPCA enforcement officers to determine the most applicable charge or charges in this matter and the next steps to ensure the dog’s continued safety.
British Columbia health officials announced on Monday there have been 145 new test-positive COVID-19 cases since Friday, bringing the total number of recorded cases in the province to 147,549. During a press conference, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said there were 57 cases reported from Friday to Saturday, 50 from Saturday to Sunday, and 38 from Sunday to Monday. Broken down by health region, this equates to 48 new cases in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 68 new cases in the Fraser Health region, one new case in the Island Health region, 26 new cases in the Interior Health region, and none in Northern Health. There were also five more deaths over the weekend, bringing the death toll to 1,754. There are 930 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 107 individuals are hospitalized with COVID-19, 37 of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people with COVID-19 are recovering at home in self-isolation. 144,848 people who tested positive have now recovered.
Environment Canada is maintaining heat warnings across all but a few coastal sections of B-C as a powerful system brings unprecedented temperatures to the province and most of Western Canada. A heat dome over the inner north and south coasts and southern Interior is slowly moving east but the weather office says those areas and southeast Yukon will endure another round of record-breaking heat today before some easing tomorrow. Other regions of B-C will have to wait until at least Wednesday for relief from scorching temperatures and it will be even longer before conditions cool across Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories. B-C Hydro says it set another record last night for the most electricity used over one hour as customers across B-C dialed up fans and air conditions in an effort to stay cool.
Canada has crossed a major milestone in the mass vaccination campaign against COVID-19. More than 30 percent of eligible Canadians 12 and older are fully vaccinated. That’s more than 10.14 million people. At the current pace, this country could reach 50 per cent fully vaccinated in about two weeks.