Temperatures are expected to soar this week and weather experts are predicting it could be the hottest week so far this summer.
Unfortunately, not everyone in the city has the luxury of retreating into an air conditioned home, which is why The Simcoe County Alliance to End Homelessness (SCATEH) has set up a cooling station in the parking lot of the Salvation Army in downtown Barrie this week.
“We needed a central location with a water hook up (and) where people would feel welcomed, so I was very happy when Major Stephanie Watkinson of The Salvation Army was excited to let us use the parking lot,” said Jennifer van Gennip, director of communications for Redwood Park Communities.
van Gennip says SCATEH continues to advocate for easily accessible warming stations and cooling stations for people who are unhoused or have nowhere to escape from extreme weather.
“In the meantime, we thought a misting tent with some cold beverages would be a fun way to help people cool off this summer,” she said.
The tent is an initiative of the Barrie chapter of SCATEH, with Redwood Park Communities, The Salvation Army and the John Howard Society of Simcoe/Muskoka taking the lead.
It will be on-site Monday to Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. this week if the temperatures are as high as forecasted, but noted that it is also dependent on volunteers and the weather.
Beyond this week, it will be weather-dependent, says van Gennip, adding they have no idea how many people to expect given the cooling tent is an “experiment."
“So far we are pretty popular! The misting tent is a bit of a novelty," she said. "I'd say we've had 30 to 40 people drop by, some to cool off for a few minutes, some longer, and our Gatorade and pop has been very popular. One new friend has set up a Bluetooth speaker so now we have music, too.”
