Edmonton council ensures warm shelter for unhoused during extreme cold weather

Edmonton city council voted 10-3 on Thursday to rescind a September 28 motion that had suspended section 37 of Bylaw 20700, which prohibits remaining in transit vehicles or stations except for transit use. The vote came as Edmonton's first snow is expected this weekend.

Councillors Erin Rutherford, Ashley Salvador, and Jo-Anne Wright voted against the rescission. The city defines extreme cold weather as three consecutive days where temperatures drop to -20°C or lower.

Following the rescission, council unanimously passed a motion from Councillor Anne Stevenson (Ward O-day'min) that directs the city to ensure individuals removed from transit areas during cold weather are provided with warm transportation to a warm space with direct access. "This does not mean that a transit centre is going to be a shelter space. What it does mean is before anyone is removed from a transit area where they're sheltering, we'll ensure there is warm transportation to a warm place for them to directly access," Stevenson said.

The existing Edmonton Transit Service procedure already instructs bus drivers not to ask people who have exceeded their 90-minute limit to exit if they are not causing disruption and are using the space to stay warm. Stevenson's motion extends this principle to bylaw officers during extreme weather events.

Councillor Jon Morgan, who has 18 years of ETS experience, successfully moved for a report on trauma-informed care training currently available to staff and options for further training. "People are in pretty desperate situations. There's a whole gamut of why that is, so having an understanding and appreciation of that gives our staff just that many more tools to respond appropriately so we're not causing further trauma to people," Morgan said.