On June 26, 1943, Guelph was gripped in a heat wave. While it was not the hottest day on record, it was extremely hot for that time of year. "The thermometer at the Ontario Agricultural College showed 89." It was the highest temperature reached in 1943. The previous year, for the same day, it had read 82, although neither broke records, falling far below the record temperature of 91 set in 1901, 1909 and 1941. Management at IMICO stated they had lost several hours of work on Friday because of the heat. The Guelph Carpet Works company had shut down some of the Factory at 3, "when the temperature indoors reached 94." At the Guelph Stove Works, however, employees had been forced to soldier through - which probably accounted for the "some absenteeism" on Saturday. What most affected the children - and many adults, had nothing to do with working conditions. The run on ice cream was such that it had depleted the supplies at most shops. They had sold out. No more ice cream was expected until July 1, making it an exceptionally long and joyless weekend for many Guelph children and adults.
TThe Heat Wave of 1943
This week’s hot spell mirrors that of June 1943.
On June 26, 1943, Guelph was gripped in a heat wave. While it was not the hottest day on record, it was extremely hot for that time of year. "The thermometer at the Ontario Agricultural College showed 89." It was the highest temperature reached in 1943. The previous year, for the same day, it had read 82, although neither broke records, falling far below the record temperature of 91 set in 1901, 1909 and 1941.
Management at IMICO stated they had lost several hours of work on Friday because of the heat. The Guelph Carpet Works company had shut down some of the Factory at 3, "when the temperature indoors reached 94." At the Guelph Stove Works, however, employees had been forced to soldier through - which probably accounted for the "some absenteeism" on Saturday.
What most affected the children - and many adults, had nothing to do with working conditions. The run on ice cream was such that it had depleted the supplies at most shops. They had sold out. No more ice cream was expected until July 1, making it an exceptionally long and joyless weekend for many Guelph children and adults.