Edmonton activates extreme weather response to protect the vulnerable as cold sets in
Edmonton has activated its extreme weather response for the first time this cold weather season as of 8 a.m. on Tuesday to help keep vulnerable members of the population safe.
The threshold for activating the extreme weather response is temperatures of -20 C with wind chill for at least three consecutive nights, and shelter utilization rates over 90 per cent.
The activation includes several components.
Edmonton Transit Service:
- ETS will provide dedicated overnight transportation on three routes between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. to transport people to shelters with space.
- ETS buses will also stop at all bus stops, including most express routes, to pick up anyone waiting when the weather is -20 C and below with windchill.
- Maps of the bus routes are available online.
Expanded overnight shelter spaces:
- The Al Rashid Mosque will make 75 extra overnight spaces available to shelter vulnerable people during the extreme weather response.
Day services:
- The Bissell Centre’s Community Space will be open seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Community Space offers supports like laundry, showers, meals, Indigenous cultural supports, mental health, and housing supports.
- Boyle Street Community Services Community Services will be open seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., offering housing supports, Indigenous cultural supports, and showers.
- Boyle Street Community Services will operate its Winter Warming Bus, which provides food, winter clothing, blankets, and transportation to warming centres and shelters.
- The Encampment Response Team will conduct wellness checks and only address high-risk encampments during the activation.
- All Edmonton Public Library locations and recreation facilities will be open to the public for warming purposes during regular operating hours.
What Edmontonians can do:
- Learn to recognize the signs of hypothermia, which include uncontrollable shivering, drowsiness, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss or slurred speech. A person with hypothermia may be unconscious or may not seem to have a pulse or be breathing.
- Call 911 for someone in serious distress.
- Call 211 and press 3 for 24/7 crisis diversion non-emergency support for shelter, intoxication, or mental health.
- Donate money or warm clothes and winter gear to agencies that need them. A full list can be found online.
The city says LRT stations will not be open as part of the extreme weather response as they lack amenities such as heat and adequate washroom facilities.
The extreme weather response is a partnership between the city, Homeward trust, and more than 25 partner agencies.
The extreme weather response will remain activated until Thursday, Dec. 8 at 8 a.m. with the potential to extend it if the weather remains cold.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.