Edmonton has joined other cities across the country and has pulled the plug on outdoor New Year’s Eve celebrations. The city made the decision late Saturday night because of the extremely cold temperatures expected Sunday.
“This is the first time in Edmonton’s history that we are aware of it being cancelled, the outdoor programming, but we are still going ahead with the fireworks,” Tannia Franke with the City of Edmonton said Sunday morning.
READ MORE: City of Calgary cancels outdoor New Year’s Eve plans due to extreme weather
The 12-minute fireworks show planned for 9 p.m. will still go ahead but the city is encouraging people to watch them from the comfort of their own homes on the City of Edmonton’s Facebook page.
“We were hopeful that something was going to change in the forecast and it would get warmer, but it wasn’t improving,” Franke said.
“So for everybody’s safety, from a public perspective, from a performance perspective, from a staff perspective, we thought it’s just best if we discourage people to go out in these extreme temperatures.”
If you do plan to head out and watch the fireworks live at the Alberta legislature grounds, you’re encouraged to dress for the conditions.
READ MORE: Ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve 2017 in Edmonton
Indoor activities that were planned in the Federal Building and pedway from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. will continue as planned.
Watch below: Edmonton wine guy Gurvinder Bhatia has a few suggestions for New Year’s Eve bubbly