We haven鈥檛 been experiencing the heat wave that hit eastern Canada, but it can still be a killer if people aren鈥檛 careful.

More than 50 deaths in Quebec alone have been linked to the ridiculously high temperatures experienced in 鈥楲a Belle Province鈥� last week, where the mercury climbed into the mid-30s, and the humidex made it feel 10 degrees warmer.

And while it鈥檚 been a seemingly cooler than usual start to the summer on Vancouver Island, brace yourselves. We are about to re-enter the heat zone.

Not to the degree of what eastern Canada experienced last week, but hot nonetheless.

Depending upon which app you use, or which website you frequent, temperatures in Courtenay are expected to hit somewhere between 27 and 30C by midweek, and that heat can be dangerous for anyone.

Most people who regularly work outdoors take the precautions needed. The rest of us need a reminder.

Be sure to supply your children with adequate hydration, before they venture outdoors this week.

If you don鈥檛 deal well with the heat, take your own precautions; close your blinds, make sure your fans/air conditioners are in working order, etc.

And then there鈥檚 the whole 鈥渉ot car鈥� issue. Inside a vehicle, the sun shining through the windows can have the thermometer near the breaking point in very short order.

It seems no matter how many times people have been warned in the past not to leave children or pets alone trapped in hot cars, they still roll the dice.

In Delta, near Vancouver, during the Canada Day weekend, two children had to be rescued and were in rough shape after being left in a car at Tsawwassen Mills. Charges are pending. And that鈥檚 a relatively happy ending. It hasn鈥檛 happened here recently, but who鈥檚 to say it couldn鈥檛?

We have a choice whether or not to swelter under the sun. Don鈥檛 be foolish. As Sgt. Phil Esterhaus of Hill Street Blues fame would say: 鈥淟et鈥檚 be careful out there.鈥�

鈥� Black Press