This Sunday, Carleton Place will be full of activity as people take part in Canada celebrations all over town. Lots of things are happening at Riverside Park, including a petting zoo, interactive demonstrations and main stage entertainment. But with a forecast of 36c and feeling more like 47 degrees, it is sure to be a hot one. So when you hit the town to celebrate this weekend, make sure you have a plan to keep cool.
Invest in some Frozen Treats!
Ice cream is not only delicious, but also a great way to cool down in a heat wave. So when the weather feels sweltering this weekend, take a load off and cool down with some hand scooped ice cream. If you are in the downtown core, Temptations at 117 Bridge Street serves up 10 flavours of Tracy’s delectable ice cream, they are open both Sunday and Monday till 7pm. While you’re there be sure to grab a cold drink and remember to keep hydrated! The Cheddar Stop located on Hwy 7 carries 28 flavors of Reid’s and Sealtest ice cream and 3 flavors of soft serve. They are open all weekend long from 10 am – 8 pm! And if you’re down at Riverside Park and just don’t want to miss out on the fun, check out The Chill Zone 613 serving cold drinks and Ice Cream treats, right at Riverside Park!
5 Tips for keeping cool
On a hot summer day sometimes, you need to get creative to keep cool, so here are 5 tricks and tips to keep you cool this weekend.
1. Pick up a hand-held fan, fan air on your face can help to get you feeling more comfortable. But manually fanning may heat you up due to the action of fanning. So, opt for a battery-operated hand-held option instead.
2. Eat smaller meals more often throughout the, large meals take more energy to digest and create large amounts of metabolic heat.
3. Dress for the weather. Wearing loose light-colored clothing made of cotton can help to increase ventilation and reflect some of the suns hot rays.
4. Sit in shade, getting out of the sun can help to prevent burns and cool you down. It also helps to get low as hot air rises so siting down close to the ground can be cooler than standing on a hot day.
5. Use water! Splash or mist cold water onto highly vascular area’s of your body like your neck, wrists and ankles. Cold water helps to quickly cool down your skin, and when applied to areas with lots of blood flow the cooling effect will help to lower you core temperature.
Swimming
Getting WET is a great way to cool down and have fun on a hot day. The Beach at Riverside Park will be open and staffed with life guards on Canada Day, and just happens to be a great location to view the evenings fireworks. The beach also features a newly updated splash pad, swings, play structures and lots and lots of sand! You can cool down in the water without leaving the celebration, as it is only steps away from the activities in the park.
Keeping safe in the Heat
With all the fun activities planned around town Sunday is sure to be a busy one for many families. Just remember too much heat can be dangerous, so it is important to look out for signs of heat exhaustion. If you begin to feel dizzy, nauseous, confused, or find yourself with throbbing headache it’s a good idea to find a place to cool down and rehydrate. Hats, light weight loose clothing, sunblock, avoiding alcohol and drinking electrolyte-rich sports drinks can help you to prevent heat stroke.
Come in and Cool Down
When you plan to be outside in hot weather it very important to take breaks in the shade or find a building with air conditioning to cool down. If you need to get out of the sun and sit down, you can visit the Carleton Place Library during regular hours and cold down with some refreshing AC.
Many local stores also remain open this July 1st including Walmart and Mitchell’s Your Independent Grocer. Both sell cold drinks, and sunscreen if you happen to run out!
As well many of the local restaurants will stay open for Canada Day! Smith and Barrel Pub at 7 Bridge Street will be holding a summertime BBQ and unveiling their new Caesar drink. The Waterfront Gastro Pub on Bell Street will be celebrating Canada Day with live entertainment, so you can cool off in style by enjoying a refreshing drink on their patio overlooking the river.
While the weather will be sweltering this weekend, you don’t need to be melting down. Just remember to plan some ways to stay cool when you leave the house this weekend, so you and your family can beat the heat this Canada Day.