CANMORE – An extreme weather plan was tested for the first time during the shattering cold that hit the Bow Valley and much of Alberta earlier in January when temperatures neared -50 Celsius with wind chill.
The Town of Canmore's extreme cold weather response plan formalizes the municipality’s role in responding to extreme weather to help people in the community, particularly those more vulnerable.
Jessica Klaric, the executive director of the Homelessness Society of the Bow Valley (HSBV), said it works with the Town “to ensure every community member has a safe, warm place to go in the night.”
From Dec. 11 to Jan. 11 – which encompassed the intense cold period – the seasonal shelter at Scout Hall in Canmore saw an average of 5.1 guests per night.
Klaric noted it was the highest average for any of its previous operating seasons.
“There’s definitely been an increase in the average guests per night,” she said. “During the cold snap, we saw a pretty consistent use of the space. It wasn’t a drastic increase, so we didn’t reach capacity within the shelter space, but we saw between five to seven guests a night.”
According to HSBV’s annual review for 2022-23, it had 30 total guests that saw 263 beds used during its operating period for an average of 2.3 guests per night. The shelter ran from Dec. 15 to April 1 last year.
Klaric said in 2022-23, the shelter was open for 11 nights when the temperature dipped below -27 C, which is the federal government’s determination for extreme cold weather. The provincial government issues extreme cold weather warnings at -40 C.
The extreme weather plan establishes specific roles and guidelines to work with other organizations to help people throughout the year when extreme weather hits the community.
Caitlin Miller, the Town’s manager of protective services and director of emergency management, said Family and Community Support Services put out a call for warm clothing, which was well-received.
She added the Town’s community peace officers worked with FCSS staff to prepare emergency warming kits, Canmore Public Library aided in providing a warm place and community members offered food and shelter.
Miller noted the “community response to extreme weather was heartwarming. We are stronger when we work together to keep each other safe.”
Town staff and HSBV reached an agreement to run extra shelter space when an extreme cold weather condition takes place. The Town will provide funding, while HSBV will run the space for such an event.
“Leveraging the great work they do in the space, ensures that the Town has an effective and established response,” Miller said.
a staff report before Canmore's committee of the whole Jan. 23, showed that between Dec. 11, 2023, and Jan. 8, 2024, three of the 28 days had HSBV at full capacity for its seven spots. However, an extra spot has been added. It noted the space didn’t reach capacity during the 2022-23 season.
HSBV has used the Scout Hall as its winter shelter space for the last two seasons after it had previously used St. Michael’s Anglican Church on 7th Street.
“Should there be community impacts that extend beyond the population experiencing homelessness, administration would activate the emergency social services plan and potentially open a Town-operated warming centre,” the report stated. “This type of response would occur when the extreme cold event is compounded by another hazard, such as a power outage, major blizzard or snow event, or gas leak as examples.”
The plan lists five response priorities protecting lives and ensuring safety of emergency staff, protecting infrastructure, protecting property, protecting the environment and reducing economic and social losses.
Among vulnerable people are children and the elderly, individuals with chronic health issues and mobility limitations, people in homes that are poorly insulated or don’t have heat, people who are socially isolated and tourists, visitors and locals spending time outdoors.
The plan indentifies Canmore Recreation Centre and Elevation Place as the best spots for warming centres, while the Civic Centre and seniors building are also ranked as good locations.
Among the organizations that would be contacted are pharmacies, mental health and addiction programs, school boards and organizers of associations, events and societies.
The report noted the Town received grant funding from the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre to create an emergency response plan for extreme heat and wildfire smoke. At budget talks in November and December, the Town’s finance committee and council provided money and direction for staff to create emergency response plans for homeless people in winter and summer months.
The report highlighted the difficulty in anticipating exact costs since extreme weather conditions are impossible to predict, but estimated it could range from $45 to $250 a night per person depending on the accommodation. The annual emergency management budget is $39,000 in 2024, per the report.
From 2018-23, there were 55 days when extreme weather would’ve been met and only three were outside the shelter timing to be open.
“It is difficult to determine whether the shelter would be at capacity to accurately forecast how many days the Town would need to activate its protocol,” according to the report. “In addition, the realities of climate change are making weather predicting more complex and uncertain.”
