A woman in St-Jérôme, Que., was given a $60 fine for leaving her two young children in the back of her minivan on a day when the temperature felt like 37 C with the humidity.

A Maxi employee called police after noticing two children locked inside a Dodge Caravan in the store parking lot. (Jay Turnbull/CBC)

Two Maxi grocery store employees spotted the children — aged four and nine — alone in a vehicle in the store’s parking lot on Tuesday.

The employees called police, who upon arrival were successful in convincing the older child to unlock the door to let them out. The children were drenched with sweat.

The window had been left open a few centimetres.

Police officers went inside the store and found the mother, a 40-year-old woman, and explained to her the dangers of leaving her children alone in a hot car. They then gave her a $60 fine plus $35 in fees — the maximum fine allowed under the law, police said.

Article 380 of the Quebec Highway Safety Code forbids leaving children under the age of seven in a car alone.

Youth protection services was also notified.