EDMONTON -- The City of Edmonton will use the Commonwealth Community Recreation Centre, if needed, to shelter the homeless during extreme cold weather events this winter.
In previous years, the city has at times used LRT stations during cold snaps. Christel Kjenner, the city's director of housing and homelessness, said the rec centre is a better, and warmer, facility.
"The Commonwealth Rec Centre, in addition to being centrally located and near an LRT station and a central bus station, also provides, it's heated and it also has hygiene facilities like public bathrooms and showers that can be made available."
The city will open the facility to the homeless when Environment Canada issues an extreme cold warning, which is expected in the coming days, but only if other shelters are at capacity already.
"When it's required, the city will be there to fill the gap," Kjenner said.
"We look at encouraging people to use those facilities first, but if they run up against capacity issues because more people are seeking shelter inside and are no longer able to accommodate the need, then that's when we'll activate our protocol."
ETS will also provide free transit to the rec centre, and issue a public advisory when the protocol is activated.
