Caring for our city’s most vulnerable becomes especially critical in extreme weather conditions. Updates will be posted here when the extreme weather response is activated.
The City is committed to making sure that everyone has access to safe, warm spaces this winter. By collaborating with partners, the City is doing everything it can to ensure that no one is left without the help they need during the harsh winter months.
From providing overnight winter shelter shuttles to help you get to emergency shelters, and accessing City Recreation facilities and libraries to keep you warm, we're here to help keep you safe through the cold winter.
The City is ready to activate an extreme weather response once forecasts indicate conditions of -20 degrees Celsius with wind chill for a minimum of 3 days in a row, typically accompanied by an Environment Canada alert for extreme cold.
The extreme weather response implements City Policy C620 to ensure a coordinated and urgent response to protect vulnerable Edmontonians from life-threatening winter conditions.
The City of Edmonton is a part of a broader, sector-wide response ensuring the safety of our community - including vulnerable Edmontonians - during the harsh winter months. While shelter provision and healthcare are the responsibility of the Government of Alberta, the City works closely with the Province and community partners to fill in gaps and address immediate needs. Primarily, this includes providing expanded transportation options to help individuals access shelter and support services.
With winter’s extreme cold, anyone sheltering outside is in an urgent situation. Shelters remain the safest option for protection from life-threatening risks such as frostbite, hypothermia, and even death. There are emergency shelter spaces available in Edmonton for a diverse range of people.
Winter Shelter Shuttle Service
An overnight transportation service will operate all winter regardless of temperature. The service is intended to support Edmontonians needing transportation to emergency shelters.
There will be 2 routes operating: November 1, 2024-March 31, 2025 from 10pm-6am:
- North route starts from Northgate Transit Centre to downtown
- South route starts from Southgate Transit Centre to downtown
North Route Map South Route Map
Note: From 12:45am-3:30am, the North and South winter shelter shuttles will focus on transporting people from Transit stations to shelters based on need and are not on a set route.
Support staff will be on each bus offering help to passengers needing access to available shelters and for referrals to other services.
During an extreme weather response, the following measures will be activated:
- A third bus will be added to the overnight Winter Shelter Shuttle service starting from Kingsway Transit Centre to downtown (west route) to ensure additional capacity is available for transporting people to available shelters.
West Route Map - Open City facilities and libraries will be available to anyone needing respite from the extreme cold (Edmonton Transit Service’s transit centres and LRT stations are not safe or appropriate for sheltering).
- Al Rashid Mosque will once again open an overnight shelter that will provide up to 50 spaces, funded by the City as a part of its extreme weather response.
- The Winter Resource Cards, carried by frontline City staff, offer essential information on shelter locations and emergency services.
During Cold Temperatures
Learn to recognize the signs of hypothermia:
- Uncontrollable shivering
- Drowsiness or exhaustion
- Confusion
- Fumbling hands
- Memory loss
- Slurred speech
Note: A person with severe hypothermia may be unconscious and may not seem to have a pulse or to be breathing.
How Can I Help
Call 911 for someone in serious distress or in cases of emergency.
If you see someone sheltering outside, it’s not just about the cold - it’s about saving a life.
Call 211 and press 3 for the 24/7 Crisis Diversion team, if you see someone who:
- Is sheltering outside
- Does not have clothing to protect them from the weather
- Feels unsafe, but no threat of violence is present
- Is intoxicated or otherwise impaired
- Is confused, disoriented or may be experiencing mental health concerns
- Sleeping in a lobby or an unsafe place
This 24/7 service can help connect vulnerable individuals to safe transportation, shelter and the support they need. By making that call, you could be protecting someone from harm and potentially saving a life.
City Facilities
Any Edmonton Public Library: Find your location
ACT Aquatic and Recreation Centre
Bonnie Doon Leisure Centre
Booster Juice Recreation Centre in Terwillegar
Central Lions Recreation Centre
Clareview Community Recreation Centre
Commonwealth Community Recreation Centre
Confederation Leisure Centre
Dr. Anne Anderson Community Centre
Eastglen Leisure Centre
Grand Trunk Fitness and Leisure Centre
Hardisty Fitness and Leisure Centre
Jasper Place Leisure Centre
Kinsmen Sports Centre
Londonderry Fitness and Leisure Centre
Mill Woods Senior and Multicultural Centre
Northgate Lions Seniors Recreation Centre
O’Leary Fitness and Leisure Centre
Mill Woods Recreation Centre
The Meadows Community Recreation Centre
Sector Emergency Response
The City actively participates in the Sector Emergency Response, a collaboration between the City, Homeward Trust and more than 25 system and partner agencies working together to keep our vulnerable citizens safe and warm every night.
The City and partners determine when it’s appropriate to activate the City’s extreme weather response considering weather conditions and existing capacity within community spaces for people experiencing homelessness to safely shelter.