Amanda McIntosh is a mental health and substance use worker who is volunteering time around her work schedule to treat those with heat-related injuries and transport them to cooling centres.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Amanda McIntosh

An intense heat wave in the Thompson-Okanagan region is making life even more difficult for those living rough and a Kamloops woman is trying to help.

Amanda McIntosh is a mental health and substance use worker who is volunteering time around her work schedule to treat those with heat-related injuries and transport them to cooling centres.

“I’m seeing weakness, lethargy and dehydration in our vulnerable population,” she said. “Many were pale, one was vomiting and another said she couldn’t see properly.”

McIntosh is driving to the main gathering hubs for the homeless population in the downtown and North Shore areas to provide support, hand out printouts with information on the available cooling stations in town, and offer transportation.

One day earlier this week, McIntosh interacted with 15 homeless people and transported three of them to a cooling station.

“Some were almost unable to be roused or woken up and I wondered if they’d used toxic drugs or were inebriated and passed out because those symptoms sort of mimic the symptoms of heat exhaustion and dehydration,” she said. “Two asked me for help after they’d attempted to walk into a couple downtown businesses and ask for water but were turned away.”

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The person McIntosh saw in the worst condition was a young Indigenous man who’d been laying out in the sun for hours.

“He passed out and was unable to move and couldn't get himself into the shade. When I arrived there was an older woman with him but she didn't know who he was or how long he'd been there. She was also a homeless person.”

McIntosh said she spent several minutes trying to wake the man up to ask if she could move him to the shade or take him to a cooling centre. 

“The woman and I dragged him into the shade under a tree. I spent another 10 minutes pouring water on his face and cooling him off before he finally woke up enough for me to get him in my vehicle and drive him to the nearest cooling station.”

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McIntosh said cooling centres are a vital resource in heat waves and a lot of people in need are not aware they are open or are too far away to walk to one.

On July 5, Environment Canada issued a heat warning for the Okanagan, South and North Thompson, Nicola, Similkameen, Shuswap and Boundary region and it has been continued everyday since.

The Sandman Centre arena concourse located downtown was chosen by the city as the dedicated cooling centre but it was booked up last week as temperatures approached 40 Celsius.

It is set to open as a cooling centre on Sunday, July 14 until the end of the heat event, according to a media release by the City issued July 12.

The McArthur Island Sport and Event Centre on the North Shore was opened on July 9 and has been operating from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. but will close at 8 p.m. on July 13.

Community Service Officers have been out offering bottled water and access to supports and resources.

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The Loop resource centre on the North Shore opened as a cooling centre on July 5 and is operating from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. That same day ASK Wellness Centre on the North Shore opened its doors as a place to cool down during operating hours with water, Gatorade and a misting hose. 

“Getting into the shade doesn’t make a difference in these kinds of temperatures," McIntosh said. "I’m seeing a lot of people who are extremely lethargic." 

The weather forecast for Kamloops shows daytime highs between 34 C and 37 C for the next week, with overnight lows of 19 C and 17 C. The Okanagan is forecast calls for daytime highs hovering around 34 C and overnight lows at 17 C.

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