Metro Vancouver synagogues opening as cooling centres
Posted July 3, 2021 12:15 pm.
Last Updated July 3, 2021 12:19 pm.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — Synagogues are opening as cooling centres across Metro Vancouver to help prevent any more sudden deaths this summer.
Over the past week, the extreme heat in B.C. is believed to be a “significant contributing factor” due to a spike in deaths across the province.
However, Ezra Shanken with the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver says he’s not aware of any sudden deaths in his community.
“I see that as a real success story to the work that’s been done by many of our agencies, synagogues and clergy during this time,” he says. “Obviously, the loss of life has been so tragic.”
Related Article: B.C. deaths triple over the past week, heat major factor
Shanken explains that he and his team have been phoning older Jewish community members to make sure they’re alright during the heat.
“Our community center is open and ready to serve this population … as the temperatures rise and fall during the summer, we want to make sure that people are actually reaching out … We’re here to help. We’re going to make sure that that happens.”
Between Friday, June 25 through to Thursday, July 1, 719 deaths have been reported to The B.C. Coroners Service — which is three times more than what would normally occur in the province during the same period, according to a statement from Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe Friday.
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– With files from Denise Wong
