Edmonton to deactivate extreme weather response this Saturday

With warmer temperatures on the way, the City of Edmonton will deactivate its extreme weather response on Saturday.

The protocol was activated earlier this week as temperatures took a dive after an above-average weekend. Edmontonians woke up Wednesday to temperatures around -26 C.

In an update Wednesday afternoon, the city said the final night of expanded overnight bus service will be Saturday. Edmonton Transit System has been operating two overnight bus routes to transport people to shelters.

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According to the city, upwards of 88 people accessed the service on any given night.

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A temporary shelter set up at Commonwealth Stadium, operated by The Mustard Seed, will remain open until March 31. The end of the extreme weather response will see capacity lowered from 200 beds to 150, but the city said it will work with Homeward Trust and other community partners to continue to monitor capacity within the overall shelter system.

While Thursday will remain chilly, temperatures in Edmonton are forecast to reach highs of -4 C Friday, 1 C Saturday and 8 C Sunday, according to Environment Canada.

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