The Optimist Club of East London canceled its Canada Day event because the East Lions Community Centre venue was repurposed as an emergency cooling shelter.
Local authorities also chose to prioritize public safety over scheduled festivities as conditions worsened.
London police canceled a scheduled Canada Day Law Enforcement Torch Run due to the health risks.
"Due to the extreme heat forecast and out of an abundance of caution for the health and safety of our athletes, law enforcement partners, volunteers, spectators, and community members, today’s Canada Day Law Enforcement Torch Run has been cancelled," police said on social media.
City officials opened only two of London's five designated cooling centers, the Stronach Community Recreation Centre and the East Lions Community Centre, on the Wednesday holiday.
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No cooling centers were operational in the downtown or Old East Village areas, where the local homeless population is heavily concentrated.
