REGINA — A recent bout of hot weather has kept several sectors across the city busy.
Along Victoria Avenue, Milky Way Ice Cream has seen more traffic than usual.
“When it's really, really hot, people are coming here for something cold for a little bit of reprieve from the heat,” said Melissa Lewis, general manager of the shop.
Lewis said more than 1,000 people have visited the shop over the last few days.
“So it's been incredibly busy. Lineups as usual, lots and lots and lots of ice cream going out the window.”
To prepare for a busier period, Lewis said they monitor weather forecasts for signs of an incoming heat wave and adjust their operations accordingly.
“We have been doing this for a very long time, so we have it down to a science in terms of how much of each product we need, what we need to have prepared, and how many staff we need to have on the window.”
Lewis also said their own operations can be impacted during a warm stretch.
“It does make keeping the ice cream harder, a bit of a challenge. Our staff are running at full speed, and they get a little toasty as well. So all of the systems are running at max on days like this.”
During July and August, Milky Way Ice Cream extends its hours, opening at 11 a.m. and staying open until 10 p.m. or later on some days.
High EMS calls
In a statement provided by the (SHA), there were 133 calls to either the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) or Healthline 811 across the province over the weekend for heat-related issues or calls with unknown conditions that had the potential for heat exposure.
For Regina and southern Saskatchewan, 71 heat-related calls were made between Friday and Sunday.
In the area, two major events happened during the weekend: Country Thunder in Craven between Thursday and Sunday, and the Saskatchewan Roughriders game in Regina on Sunday evening.
The SHA said paramedics were on standby and assessed 100 people in Craven and 60 during the game.
“The vast majority of all assessments were heat-related or for conditions exacerbated due to the heat,” said the SHA.
With warmer temperatures, the SHA recommends staying out of the heat, especially between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
The SHA also recommends wearing light clothing, glasses and hats and applying sunscreen.
If travelling, people are recommended to find a space with AC, keep water or cold drinks on hand, and avoid alcohol.
