Calgarians are on a desperate search to cool down as Wednesday marks the hottest day of the year so far for the city.
Kevin Dyer with High Point Heating and Cooling says phones are ringing off the hook with people looking for air conditioners.
“It’s the difference between sleeping or not,” Dyer added. “That’s why I put AC in my house because I couldn’t sleep, and my kids couldn’t sleep and when everyone’s miserable, everyone is miserable.”
Dyer says he increases staffing for his crew during the summer months and everyone is working overtime to meet demand, especially since temperatures sky-rocketed in July.
But not everyone has an air-conditioning unit, leaving some Calgarians finding ways to cool down outside. One of the most popular options is heading to the river to take advantage of the cold water.
The Calgary Fire Department (CFD) reminded people to float safely.
CFD has made more than 20 water rescues since Saturday. The majority of the calls are for people in unsafe floaties, capsized rafts and not wearing a life jacket.
Rescue calls increase during hot weather and fire crews will be out patrolling the river this week to make sure they can respond quickly to a crisis.
“The river is flowing quite fast and high so you’re going to be moving fast and need to be able to navigate very quickly,” says Carol Henke, public information officer for the fire department.
“Where there’s water there’s risk and there’s always some level of risk … But you can decrease that risk if you have the proper equipment and know what you are doing.”
The other warning from CFD is to avoid the Harvie Passage if you are in a raft. Henke says crews had to rescue two rafters from the rapids on Tuesday. The popular spot is meant for experienced kayakers wearing proper gear.
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