A reprieve from the heat in Thunder Bay, for now.

The cooler temperatures will help local shelters, including Shelter House, who have a plan in place should the humidex values skyrocket.

“We try to make sure that people stay inside during the daytime when it’s really really hot and let them know that they can come back inside should they choose to leave,” explains Executive Director Michelle Jordan.

Jordan notes the house plan is similar in the winter, adding: “The SOS crew is out patrolling to make sure that people aren’t outside stuck somewhere where they have to walk a long distance for shelter, so it’s essentially the same plan. In the summer we carry water whereas in the winter, we would add warm clothing, sleeping bags and blankets for those who need help.”

Shelter House made a few changes to operations once the province entered Step 3 of the Reopening Plan.

“We were on a static bed list for a very long time, just to protect the people that were inside. The screening tools changed so staff and residents were asked questions about travel and symptoms.”

Jordan notes the staff and residents that were able to get the COVID-19 vaccine were excited to do so.