Heat wave means high demand for Calgary cooling businesses

For those in the business of keeping Calgarians cool, this week's heat wave means more demand for their products and services.

"This is what we prepare for all year are these big weeks where we have lineups out the door right till close," said Village Ice Cream founder Billy Friley. 

Temperatures as high as 34 C in Calgary prompted a heat warning from Environment and Climate Change Canada this week. Other parts of Alberta have seen temperatures as high as 37 C.

While that means more sales and revenue, some working to cool everyone else down say they have to be careful with how much they're exposing themselves to the heat.

"We've had safety meetings about about the heat waves, making sure everyone has enough water and is staying in the shade," said Chris Reid, who owns Calgary Air Heating and Cooling.

Ice cream business heats up in heat wave

Friley says the first thing he feels when he sees hot days ahead is excitement, especially after this year's cool and rainy spring. 

"It was welcome news for us to see the forecast in early July," he said.

Spikes in temperature mean spikes in business. On hot days, Friley says, Village serves thousands of people across its five locations in Calgary. 

Friley says they have to make sure staff are ready to deal with the rush and that freezers are in good enough shape to deal with the heat.   

"We have to be all pistons firing during this time of year, so everybody's working hard."

While the heat is generally good for business, Friley says sometimes it can be so hot that sales start to dip. 

He says as temperatures climb into the mid-30s, many people stay indoors until the evening to avoid the heat. 

"There is kind of an ideal window of temperature where we can really serve a lot of customers.… I think perfect ice cream weather is probably 25 to 30 degrees," he said.

People 'desperate' for air conditioning, says Reid

Reid says his company is getting calls nearly every 15 minutes about servicing or installing air conditioners. 

"Some people will call, like, 'I want air conditioning right now,' and like they don't even care what it costs," he said. 

Getting air conditioning on such short notice is a tall task. 

Reid says the company is booked up to two weeks ahead and still has to do their due diligence to get the right measurements and order in the proper units. 

"Sometimes the people won't get their air conditioning until after the heat wave," he said.

Demand means more staff, longer hours

The company has extra staff working in the evening to deal with the increased demand. Even then, there is a limit to how much work they can take on. Reid says it's important to protect employees' well-being. 

"It can really wear a guy down. Especially about two or three days of doing this [and] working through all these calls and being out in the sun," he said.  

"When the schedule is full for the day, that's the best we can do," he added. 

Last minute calls for air conditioning during a heat wave don't give customers the best bang for their buck.

Reid says desperate buyers will struggle to get the best deals since there isn't much time to properly research what they're buying. 

"So you might just jump into the first one you get because several other companies are taking too long to get to you."

The company begins installing and servicing units as early as February. Reid says that kind of planning ahead is the best way to beat the rush.

Mall is relief from heat for people and vehicles

Some are finding refuge in air-conditioned public spaces.

CF Market Mall general manager Paige O'Neill says malls can be one of those places.

O'Neill says malls are designed to be a meeting place and are often a refuge from weather events like heat waves and rainfall.

"[it's] an opportunity to shop and kind of enjoy a cooler environment and get away from the heat a little bit," she said.

O'Neill says it isn't just people cooling off at the mall but their vehicles as well, thanks to underground parking.