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Canadian Summer Health Hazards

Cold weather (under 20c) represents about 75% of our Canadian years. The cold typically starts around the middle of September and can run until mid-June, with not much spring or fall. 

November to February is where it is particularly cold, and Canadians consistently have waves of -20c (except the BC lower mainland). No wonder when the temperature finally goes above 15 people decide to put on a t-shirt and shorts.

Summers last about two months of the year and during those two months it gets up to +30c, something most Canadians can not bear it. The heat, humidity and UV rays can do a lot of damage to their long term health simply because we aren’t used to it! 

Here are a couple of Canadian summer health hazards and how you can beat them:

Bug Bites

The bugs are dormant throughout the cold winter, and they are more active (and hungry) than ever during the summer. 

With many lakes and still water around Canada, Mosquitos are a huge issue. Yes, Mosquitos are annoying, but they also carry many diseases, the facts are that mosquitos kill 2.7 million people around the world each year. Mosquitoes are also considered the world’s deadliest animal. 

In addition to the mosquitos, in many parts of Canada, you also need to worry about black flies bites as they do draw blood and leave poison in your bloodstream. 

If you are out in the wilderness to make sure to apply bug spray regularly (every 30 minutes) to avoid any bites. 

Sunburns

Summer is a time to get outside and enjoy the sun. Nevertheless, the Canadian government * news outlets consistently warn Canadians about staying out of the sun, that is because it is a real problem for the country:

“Skin cancers have the highest incidence of all cancers in Canada. The Canadian Cancer Society estimated 6,800 new cases of cutaneous melanoma and 78,300 new cases of non-melanoma skin cancer in 2015. From 1986 to 2010, the incidence of melanoma increased by 2% per year among men and 1.5% per year among women.” (Stats Can, 2017)

Avoid getting a sunburn or too many, by applying sunscreen every thirty minutes with outside for an extended period and stick to the shade when you can. 

Heat Stroke

“Heat exhaustion can lead to heat stroke, an illness that arises when the body’s core reaches a temperature higher than 40 °C. It can present itself with a variety of symptoms, including disorientation and lack of sweat and can lead to unconsciousness, and organ failure.”  (Canadian Safety Council, 2019) 

On days where the real feel is over 30c make sure you bring at least 2L of water with you, stay hydrated and avoid drinking caffeinated or alcoholic related drinks. 

Heat warning

As you can see in the image above, Canada is very serious about the heat when it comes to public health. Most of the world between the equator has 30c+ during the day and 20+ year round its quite normal for billions of people. 

Drink 

Alcohol consumption is at a high rate during the summer in Canada. Alcohol with a mixture of heat can lead to significant dehydration. A good strategy, if you are going to drink alcohol is to have one glass of water for every alcoholic beverage consumed. 

Driving

People always think about driving as being dangerous in the winter, which it is, but there are some hazards Canadians need to watch out for when driving this summer.

Canada has one of the lowest population densities, meaning towns are few and far between once you are outside one of Canada’s five relatively large cities.

When driving long hours, you want to make sure that you know where you are stopping next and take into consideration if there are any cell coverage blackouts along your route. If your car breaks down in a cell coverage blackout area, odds are there are not many people around to help you out as well. You may need to spend hours in the heat with no A/C so be sure to pack some extra water in a cooler, just in case.

You can avoid these instances by: 

  • Staying sober
  • Planning ahead and being realistic about travel times
  • Staying off your phone
  • Being aware of your speed 

You also need to look out for other drivers as people tend to go faster and feel more confident in their driving in the summer.

Sum Up

Don’t let summer hazards scare you, make sure to enjoy your time in the heat and sun by protecting yourself and being aware of your environment. Summer is not long and one of the only times of year you can truly enjoy the outdoors before another winter rolls around.

Battle Against Loneliness

A sense of belonging is one of the most important aspects of a person well being. Whether we develop a sense of belonging through friends, family, work or nationally. Without an environment of belongings, people can then feel lonely, a topic many rarely talk about.

The loneliness public health crisis is as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and can lead to heart disease, dementia, and high blood pressure.  

Loneliness in the western world isn’t just occurring for seniors but young people as well. Loneliness can boil down to several factors in Canada, social media disconnecting us, poor planning of public spaces, or the seven month long winters. There are many more attributes that can be a catalyst for loneliness, but we are going to focus on how you can mitigate it.

So how can you build a sense of belonging, not just because the severe or mild loneliness is harmful towards your health but also so you can enjoy life?

 

Work On Acceptance

Do you find yourself complaining? Even if you are complaining to yourself? The world is not so grim. Happiness equals reality minus expectations. Though expectations and standards are beneficial because that means you know what you like & want, they can still damage your thought process throughout your daily life, in the short term and long term.

Not everyone can be an optimist but try to choose your internal battles more strategically. This does take a lot of work to overcome. A powerful, popular quote will help you visualise choosing your battles:

“If you had $86,400 in your bank account and someone stole $10 from you, would you be upset and throw the remaining amount $86,390 away?
No.
You would move on.
Right?
We have 86,400 seconds each day. Don’t let a negative 10 seconds ruin your entire day.”

Saying Yes

Many lonely people, when confronted with an opportunity to do something, will often say “No” and come up with an excuse why they can not join a specified event. If you’re in a mental state where you are feeling down be more open to saying yes to social activity. Let go of preconceived judgments. Judgments build mental walls. If you’re invited out to dinner, don’t fixate on the noisy restaurant of the waiter that misplaced your order, focus on the company around you. Connecting with people is much more important than focusing on negatives.

A simple actionable you can take to make a difference is: think about the words and thoughts that you are portraying, the thoughts and words you say dictate your vision, some words promote togetherness and other separateness.

Make A Difference

The only one that can make a difference is you. External factors are not going to help you nearly as much as you can help yourself; you are in charge of your life’s actions. Getting out of your comfort zone will enlighten you to make a difference if you are in a lonely state. The comfort zone is a danger zone for people of all ages; all good things happen outside your daily routine comforts. 

Many times the easiest thing is to be alone, but it can affect your long and short term health. Make an effort and surround yourself with like-minded people, it will benefit you, mentally and physically. 

Best Places To See Fireworks On Canada Day

Canada Day is the biggest celebratory day in our nation (aside from the Raptors Parade a couple of weeks ago) and every year Canada lights up the sky with a fantastic fireworks display. Celebrating and enjoying time off is always necessary for your health, and Canada Day is the biggest weekend of the year to let your stress-free and enjoy.

National days around the world provide people with a basic human need… the need for belonging. Canada Day is not just about the land we sit on, and the date independence was given, it is also about the Canadians that became before us and belonging to a community. Having a sense of belonging in the surroundings you are in is vital to a person’s well being and health. Enjoy the festivities!

These are our top places in Ontario to watch the epic fireworks:

Our Nations Capital – Ottawa

On Parliament Hill, there are performances by Canadian artists before the firework finale making for a great show. In front of Parliament, thousands will celebrate together.

Ashbridges Bay – Toronto

Near “The Beaches” neighbourhood in Toronto, Ashbridges Bay is one of Toronto’s most beautiful parks with views of the entire cities skyline. The show features approximately 2000 fireworks and always set off awe capturing finale.

Niagra Falls 

What is better than one of the world largest waterfalls and a spectacular fireworks display? Not much. The iconic Canadian landmark is a no-brainer. The phenomenal sights and sounds of the falls make for one of the best locations to celebrate Canada Day.

Canada’s Wonderland – Vaughn 

Rollercoasters, waterparks and junk food. Spend your day at the park and go on some of the tallest rollercoasters in Canada, if that is your thing. If not there are tamer rides that won’t intimidate you. The fireworks display takes 375 hours to create and is one of Canadas most abundant performances with 6000 fireworks being set off in 15 mins. There won’t be a dull moment.

Sailing Through The 6ix – Lake Ontario

This one is definitely for the audience between 20-32. Canadas largest boat festival takes place on Canada Day. Choose your boat and choose your music. Tickets are only 30 dollars, and it will be one of the best ways to watch the fireworks come on the evening of July 1st.

Harbourfront Centre – Queens Quay Toronto

Located in the heart of downtown is the most extensive fireworks celebration in the Toronto area. There is live music and activities to keep the kids entertained.

Mel Lastman Square

The event will run from 6 – 1030pm and is hosted by Devo Bown from the Breakfast Television and Entertiabnebt show on CityTV. There will be family-friendly events, music, arts and of course a spectacular fireworks display.

East York Toronto

This is Toronto’s longest running Canada Day celebration starting at 10 am and finishing with a bang at 10 pm. The festivities at Stan Wadlow Park include live music, artisan market, food, and a craft beer garden. Attendees better be prepared to party until the sun goes down. 

YouthLink Donation

YouthLink is a youth mental health charity in Toronto, and they officially opened a youth emergency shelter on Friday for young people between the ages 16-24 in addition to street dogs.

It is the first youth homeless shelter to open in Scarborough since 2015.

YouthLink head of marketing and fundraising, Evan Back said “We are not trying to shelter somebody for a night. We are trying to bring them in with open arms”. Adding: “They come in homeless, and when they leave, they’ll never be homeless again.”

On The Mikey Networks mission of placing MIKEY defibrillators in locations across Ontario, we are pleased to announce that we’ve donated five Mikeys (defibrillators) to Youthlink to ensure the homeless youth of the GTA are in a safer environment.

Keeping Healthy Habits During Summer

women in kayak with mountains

When the sun is shining, there are two paths a person can do down — one of letting loose or one of exercising and enjoying the outdoors. Even adults are listening to Alice Coopers “Schools Out” and have the attitude to back it up. So how do you stay healthy during the summer?

Stress less 

Take some time after work to decompress outside and soak up the vitamin D. You will feel more alert, conscious and happy while getting your tan on. Many people struggle with a lack of Vitamin D during the winter, and a lack of it can have harmful effects on your mood.

Overall, “Exposure to sunlight can have many positive effects on our bodies and minds, especially in terms of regulating stress and happiness.” – Wellesley News

Outdoor Exercise

You can do many exercises outside oppose to a dark gym during the summer months. Not only can you, walk, run, cycle or play sports, you can also get elastic workout bands from Walmart to work every muscle in your body from where ever you are in the world. Here is a guide to exercise with bands (Here).  

Vacation

Taking time off is an obvious way to decompress, catch up on much-needed sleep and ultimately experience all life has to offer. Try and be active on these vacations go on hikes through mountains, along the beach or through new cities oppose to gorging on food and alcohol at a resort for a week.

Stay off the French Fries

Here in Canada whenever we have a BBQ or go out to eat odds are we are going to be asked: “do you want fries with that?”

Skip the french fries the carbohydrates and hurting your overall health. In the summer, fresh produce is more readily available than any other time during the year. Most of the time, you will feel better eating natural foods over processed its also healthier for your heart.  

1 for 1

As we all know “So it’s not as simple as the colder it is, the more you drink — it’s also the case that the hotter it is, the more you drink.” – CBC 

Alcohol dehydrates you, especially in the heat of summer. A way to cheat dehydration healthily is “for every alcoholic beverage; you have to drink at least three glasses of water “to make up for cheating (drinking alcohol), to offset the ramifications.”

Overall Summer Health

There are endless ways to come out of summer healthier, smarter and less stressed. Soak up that Vitamin D, stay active and have a memorable time.