It was quite a hot July to say the least. The “heat dome” that covered much of the eastern part of the North American continent only a short couple of weeks ago was brutally hot in some regions. I don’t think many of us were actually looking forward to that when we were shoveling out our driveways last December in what was then a brutally cold weather snap. And during the hottest of those July days, I can’t say that I was pining for a meter of snow in my driveway and a minus 40 degree wind chill. Weather so different, yet somehow the same.
When my children were much younger, I remember them watching Sesame Street and playing one of the Sesame Street games – what doesn’t belong and what is the same.
So here’s the very short version comparing our coldest winter days to our hottest summer days. What’s the same?
- Extreme temperatures that take your breath away.
- Extreme weather alerts from the Health Unit.
- Londoners responding to their neighbours and lending a helping hand.
Organizations, both public and private, opening their doors and becoming cooling centres to help alleviate the effects of oppressive heat were actions that all of us Londoners should be proud of.
To very loosely paraphrase Mother Theresa, when we looked into the eyes on the sweating face of a neighbour who did not have air conditioning at home, or in some instances did not even have a home, we did not see just those eyes or that sweating face, but saw the eyes of God. Loving God and loving our neighbours as ourselves.
Thank you to all who helped make someone’s life bearable, even if only for a few hours.
Peter Rozeluk, Executive Director