With an extended heat warning in place for most of the Kawarthas region — including Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, and Northumberland — municipalities are doing what they can to help residents cope with the high temperatures.
Environment Canada is now forecasting the hot weather to extend into “the foreseeable future”. Daytime high temperatures will exceed 30°C, with the humidity making it feel like the high 30s to low 40s. Overnight temperatures will remain around 20°C, providing little relief from the heat.
Here’s what’s available from municipalities in Peterborough and the Kawarthas for residents to cool down during the heat wave:
City of Peterborough
In Peterborough, a cooling room at One Roof Community Centre (99 Brock Street in downtown Peterborough) is open in the mornings and afternoons during the heat warning.
The cooling room, which is open between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., has the following public health guidelines and measures in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic:
- Capacity will be limited to 15 people.
- If there is a lineup of people waiting to use the cooling room, there will be a one-hour limit on people staying in the cooling room.
- There will be chairs for visitors to rest while they cool down.
- Chairs will be regularly cleaned.
- Social distancing will be in place.
- Masks will be made available to people using the cooling room.
- Anyone entering the cooling room will be required to use hand sanitizer.
To help people cope with the heat, One Roof Community Centre is also distributing refillable water bottles and bottled water through its community meal program.
The City of Peterborough also offers water refill stations at the Peterborough Marina (92 George St. N.), Eastgate Memorial Park (2150 Ashburnham Dr.), and Beavermead Park (2011 Ashburnham Dr.). The Peterborough Public Library (345 Aylmer St. N.) is also providing refillable water bottles and will be able to refill water bottles during its curbside pickup hours: 1 to 3 p.m and 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday and 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
In addition to the water refill stations, municipal tap water is available in public washrooms at municipal parks, including King Edward Park and Millennium Park.
During the heat warning, the City of Peterborough is also temporarily extending the hours of operation for municipal splash pads from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. The splash pads are located at King Edward Park (455 George St. S.), Nicholls Oval (725 Armour Rd.), Roger’s Cove (131 Maria St.), Kinsmen Park (1 Kinsmen Way, at Sherbrooke St. and Clonsilla Ave.), and Barnardo Park (Barnardo Ave. north of Sunset Blvd.).
The four supervised wading pools in City of Peterborough parks are open and have daily lifeguard supervision from noon to 4:30 p.m. The wading pools are located at John Taylor Memorial Park (McKellar Street and St. Catherine Street), Knights of Columbus Park (Park Street and Lake Street), Turner Park (High Street and Chamberlain Street), and Chelsea Gardens Park (Southlawn Drive and Severn Road).
The beaches at Beavermead Park and Roger’s Cove are open and are currently safe for swimming according to the most recent water quality sampling conducted by the Peterborough Health Unit.
Kawartha Lakes
While there are no municipal cooling centre in the City of Kawartha Lakes, splash pads and washrooms are open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Garnet Graham Beach Park in Fenelon Falls, Tommy Anderson Park in Bobcaygeon, and Elgin Park in Lindsay. Safety and sanitization protocols are in place.
Beaches in Kawarthas Lakes are open with a reduced service level, but physical distancing of two meters must be maintained at all times and groups of more than 10 are prohibited.
Beaches are available at the following locations:
- Beach Park in Bobcaygeon
- Birch Point in Fenlon Falls
- Blanchards Road Beach in Bexley
- Bond Street in Fenlon Falls
- Burnt River Beach in Somerville
- Centennial Beach in Verulam
- Centennial Park West in Eldon
- Burnt River Four Mile Lake in Somerville
- Head Lake in Laxton
- Norland Bathing Area in Laxton
- Omemee Beach in Emily/Omemee
- Riverview Beach Park in Bobycaygeon
- Sturgeon Point Beach in Fenlon Falls
- Valentia Beach (Sandbar Beach) in Valentia
- Verulam Recreational Park in Verulam
All beaches are currently safe for swimming according to water quality testing conducted by the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit.
Cobourg
To provide relief from high temperatures, the Town of Cobourg has opened a cooling centre at the Market Building at 201 Second Street from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the duration of the heat warning.
Residents will also be able to refill their water bottles to stay hydrated.
In the past, the town has offered cooling centres at the Cobourg Community Centre, Cobourg Public Library, and Victoria Hall. However, these centres remain closed until further notice because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The following rules and restrictions will be in place at the Market Building cooling centre to ensure the health and safety of all staff and citizens:
- The washrooms inside the Market Building will remain closed. Portable washrooms, including an accessible unit, are available outside, behind the Market Building.
- The cooling centre will operate as a one-way for visitors. Citizens are asked to enter through the main door and exit through the back door.
- Masks are mandatory for all visitors, with the exception of those who cannot wear a mask due to medical reasons and for children under two-years old.
- There will be a maximum of six people allowed in the cooling centre at one time in order to obtain effective physical distancing.
- Visits will be limited to 30 minutes maximum to ensure all residents have the opportunity to enter the cooling centre.
- All visitors will be asked to answer health and travel-related screening questions and will be required to sign in and sign out.
The Victoria Park beach in Cobourg is closed for the entire summer due to COVID-19.
Port Hope
The Jack Burger Sports Complex at 60 Highland Drive is open as a cooling centre for Port Hope residents who require relief from the hot and humid temperatures as the heat warning continues.
Upon arrival, residents are asked to wear a mask and visit the staff at the reception desk for screening and registration. The cooling centre location is limited to the mezzanine area of the complex only.
The complex will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday and 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Swimming at the Jack Burger Sports Complex will be available by reservation only beginning on Monday, July 6th. Adult, lane, and family swims can be reserved online or over the phone, while public swims can only be reserved over the phone. For more details, including pool schedules and how to make reservations, visit porthope.ca/aquatics.
This story has been updated to include the new cooling centre in Port Hope.
