ATHABASCA — Albertans in all corners of the province are sweltering in extreme heat thanks to a ridge of high pressure from B.C. this July, and the communities covered by Town and Country This Week are no exception to the record-breaking temperatures seen across western Canada.
According to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), 66 new daily maximum temperature records were set in Alberta between July 8 and 10, and Athabasca was one of the communities on the list.
On July 9, a scorching 34.1 C was recorded in Athabasca, unofficially breaking the previous high of 33.6 C set in 2015.
Historical ECCC data for the region does indicate temperatures as hot as 35 above were recorded by nearby stations in 1902, 1926, and 1950, and maximum recorded temperatures reached as high as 37 C in 1924. Data from 1941 reports a blistering maximum high of 38 C.
According to weatherstats.ca, the Athabasca region also set a new record for humidex values, reaching a real-feel high of 39 Cgrees during an unspecified day in July.
Barrhead also made the list for recording breaking real feel values with a humidex value as hot as a fiery 42 C this month.
ECCC data for the region notes that the highest temperature recorded so far this month was 34.8 C, tying with temperatures seen in 2015. The highest maximum values for the Barrhead area were felt in 2006 and 2021, with values for both years reaching over 36 C.
Less data was available for the Westlock region, but the area was no exception to the high temperatures seen across the province. According to Weather Underground, Westlock’s highest recorded temperature this month was 33.8 C.
Data recorded at a station in Tawatinaw puts the area’s highest temperature at 34.7 C, set in July of 2021. 2015 temperatures reached as hot as 32 C, and in 2022, the hottest day of the month measured at 31 C.
How local food vendors beat the heat
Culinary staples in both Athabasca and Boyle have had to sacrifice parts of their workdays to stay safe in the sizzling heat. Boyle Pizza House and Vanhout Bakery announced temporary changes to their business hours over the last two weeks, and they aren’t the only businesses trying to beat the heat.
Mingho’s Way food truck, run by Colinton couple Brandi and Vin Tien, has reduced its operating hours to avoid the hottest temperatures in the late afternoon.
The couple have shut down operations around 2 p.m. — one hour shorter than a typical workday — and Thursday, July 18 marked the second week in a row the truck didn’t make it out to the Boyle Farmers Market.
“Once we travel for the 40 minutes or whatever it is to get there, it’s like plus 45 in here,” said Brandi in a July 17 interview. She said heat from running the fryers and grill at the Athabasca Riverfront stays in the trailer throughout the drive, making work in the kitchen an extreme job.
After a shorter day of work for the pair on Wednesday, a digital thermometer display hanging over Vin’s shoulder read 41°C. “It’s only going to get hotter,” he said.
Summer is Mingho’s Way’s bread and butter; winter in Alberta isn’t the optimal climate for year-round food trucks. However both Brandi and Vin said the reduced hours and two missed trips to Boyle won’t negatively impact their profitability, but rather preserve their equipment — and sanity.
“I start losing my brain,” said Vin. “You do start to mess up on orders,” said Brandi with a laugh.
Pushing their kitchen appliances in this weather can mean higher expenses than expected, too; the pair added they recently had to replace a fridge in the trailer, and staying open for longer might mean replacing more equipment.
Though the Vietnamese fusion food truck is beloved by locals in both Boyle and Athabasca, the Tiens said their customers have supported their decision to reduce hours and avoid travel.
“We haven’t had any bad feedback or anything,” said Brandi. “A lot of people assume we have air conditioning in here, but when you tell them how hot is in here, they’re like, “I don’t blame you for closing up.’”
Vin and Brandi expressed gratitude for their customers understanding, and noted during the hottest days, demand for hot, fried food isn’t booming anyways.
“People come out in the 20s, not the 30s,” said Brandi.
Seniors struggle with sweltering summer
Like Vin and Brandi, seniors in the community are also finding ways to stay cool, but residents in one independent living facility are having more trouble than others.
Ben Walker and Roger Lambert, along with a handful of other residents of Pioneer Place, have said the temperatures in their rooms and communal areas are broaching unbearable.
Walker described his experience in the heat as, “awful, absolutely awful.”
“It is unbelievably hot in here, you can’t sleep at night or anything, it’s just crazy,” he added.
According to the group of residents, the Greater North Foundation building isn’t equipped with working air conditioning, and while individual AC units can be installed in their rooms, residents are responsible for the cost of purchase, must install the units themselves, and pay a monthly fee for the appliance.
To stay cool, many residents spend the day downtown, stopping at different shops and businesses to enjoy the frigid AC-cooled climates inside. One resident is known to spend mornings at the multiplex, but other, less mobile seniors have fewer options.
“They got no fans in the bathroom. You go in and have a shower, you get out and you’re sweating inside of five minutes,” said Lambert. “And all the moisture, the walls are full of moisture.”
The group expressed surprise none of the residents had had health concerns due to the heat, especially those without AC units and with less mobility than others.
Walker said in order to get a bit of sleep at night, he’s taken to spending the wee hours of the morning between midnight and 5 a.m. on the second-floor balcony to get a respite from his hot bedroom.
“This is ridiculous,” said one resident.
