Artillery Park Warming Centre operations extended until Thursday morning in efforts keep people warm and safe

With cold, wintry weather continuing beyond the weekend, the overnight Warming Centre running out of Artillery Park Aquatics Centre (APAC) will continue operating until Thursday morning Jan. 29.  
 
Shelter operators and community partners are working closely together to assist people in moving indoors when the temperatures drop and to find accommodations that align with their individual needs.  

The opening of a warming centre during periods of extreme weather is a part of the Winter Services Response Plan 2025-2026  which provides additional overnight opportunities in support of people experiencing homelessness during the Winter season to come inside.

Due to the recent extreme cold conditions, the City has coordinated with Home Base Housing to open the warming centre at APAC. The operation began on Friday evening and was originally scheduled to conclude on Monday morning. Given the continued extreme cold and related snow event, the operation is being extended until Thursday morning.  

People will continue to be supported at the site each night between 9 p.m. and 8:30 a.m.  An extension of operations beyond this date will be assessed mid-week based on the developing forecast. 

In response to questions from the community and to provide clarification where needed, please note:     

• Chairs have been available for people accessing the warming centre since the centre opened on Friday night
• Clean blankets are available and being given out to people when they arrive at APAC. Personal blankets are placed in bags and kept in safe quarters before being returned before people leave the facility
• Warm beverages, snacks and access to bathrooms are available
• While a number of people have accessed the warming centre on both Friday and Saturday nights, the site never reached capacity and no one was turned away
• Space remains available across the emergency shelter system, and people who drop in to the Warming Centre are welcomed and where possible connected to an available shelter bed where they can access a breadth of supports and resources. 

The City thanks Home Base Housing, emergency shelter teams, sector agencies, people in the community and staff from Housing & Social Services and Recreation & Leisure Services for their ongoing assistance in supporting the city’s most vulnerable people to come inside during this period of extreme cold.  
 
In a related development, and due to current and forecasted Winter conditions, the City has declared a significant weather event. It is now in effect with more information located here.