What to do if you see someone sleeping in the cold in Edmonton

With frigid temperatures expected to linger in Edmonton for the next few days, the city’s most vulnerable are among those most at risk in the extreme cold.

The city has an extreme cold weather plan in place that sees a portion of the Commonwealth Community Recreation Centre opened to those who may need shelter from the cold, but what if you see someone sleeping outside during this cold snap?

Who to call

• 311 – This will connect you with the City of Edmonton and should be used for any concerns about homelessness on public land city wide
• 211 press 3 – This will connect you with 24/7 crisis diversion and should be used when non-emergency support is needed for people in distress such as with mental health issues, shelter and intoxication
• 780-860-6146 – This will connect you with the Boyle Street Community Services Street Outreach program and should be used when someone living rough outside is in need of assistance
• 911 – The emergency number should only be used in cases of someone in serious distress or in case of an emergency

The entire province of Alberta was put under an extreme cold warning on Monday, but the warning was issued in Edmonton over the weekend.

0:59 Recognizing the signs of frostbite and hypothermia

On Tuesday, Edmontonians woke up to -34 C but that felt like -44 with the wind, according to Global News meteorologist Jesse Beyer.

The frigid temperatures are expected to last the rest of the week

There are a number of shelters across the city that Edmonton’s homeless can use to seek shelter from the cold.