Arctic weather is swooping into St. Albert, but people who are experiencing homelessness in the city will have somewhere warm to stay 24-7.
As temperatures prepare to drop to extreme, frostbite-incurring levels this weekend, the St. Albert Community Village and City of St. Albert are making sure supports are in place for residents without a warm place to stay.
For the first time, the community village will be transformed into a temporary shelter able to accommodate up to 12 people at night, executive director Suzan Krecsy said. Accommodations will be provided for as long as temperatures dip below -20 C and the need is there.
In previous winters when it became hazardous for people to sleep outside, Krecsy said people who are homeless have been given taxi or bus rides to shelters in Edmonton. However, it is “the right thing” to offer a safe place to stay right in St. Albert, she said.
“Sending our folks into shelters into Edmonton, we shouldn’t be doing that anyway, but that’s been our only option. We’ve got space here and so we should utilize it for our guys that are from here,” Krecsy said.
“(In the past) the folks that have been sleeping outside will kind of naturally migrate back to Edmonton, even though they don't want to,” she added.
During the day, a warming station will be available at the Community Village (#20, 50 Bellerose Drive), with hot food and drink available.
Additionally, the city has said in a press release folks experiencing homelessness are welcome to warm up in either of the St. Albert Public Library’s locations during operating hours.
“I just don't want to see anybody outside,” Krecsy said.
Currently, St. Albert does not have a 211 service, but city corporate communications manager Cory Sinclair said there are two options if residents come across anyone who may be at risk. If someone is in medical distress due to the cold, 911 should be the first call.
However, if you spot someone outside and are concerned for their safety, Sinclair said residents should call the RCMP’s non-emergent line at 780-458-7700 to request a welfare check.
Anyone wishing to help out is encouraged to email Krecsy at [email protected]. Money donations can also be made online at https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/st-albert-food-bank-and-community-village/.
The forecast
Jack Frost will be blowing into St. Albert this weekend, and could be here to stay for much of January.
Environment Canada reports the region is in for a bit of an “arctic outbreak” beginning Sunday, with temperatures dropping as low as -29 C with windchill.
“This weekend, kind of beginning Sunday and then extending at least through Wednesday, our forecast highs are actually going to be in the mid-minus 20s, and possibly for outskirts of Edmonton, maybe hitting minus 30s,” said Environment Canada meteorologist Alysa Pederson.
On Saturday, temperatures are forecasted to remain steady near -18 C, with wind chills of -29 C. Overnight, periods of snow are expected with temperatures dipping to a low of -25 C.
Sunday is expected to be sunny with a high of -24 C, and overnight a 60 per cent chance of flurries is expected to bring a low of -28 C.
Pederson added once arctic air blows in, it is hard to push back out. That means a grim forecast of at least five days of highs below -20 C.
For the rest of the month, Pederson said there is a “extremely high probability” temperatures will be below normal, which is an average -10 C for January.
“Typically, the coldest weeks of the year are end of January and early February, so we're kind of hitting that peak right now of normals being low and very, very cold,” she said.
Pederson encouraged motorists if they must travel to plan ahead and pack warm clothes, blankets and shovels, along with ensuring they have enough fuel.
