The City’s Heat, Cold and Smog Planning Committee has new and updated resources to share with you ahead of the 2022/23 cold weather season. Cold-related injuries and deaths are preventable. The City and our many community agencies and partners work together to ensure options are available for people to come in from the cold and access services.
Ottawa Public Health issues Frostbite Advisories (-25 windchill or colder) and Warnings (-35 C windchill or colder) via social media and by email to community agencies that assist people at risk during cold weather to alert them when Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) forecasts windchill values at or below these thresholds.
Cold Weather resources:
• Ottawa Public Health’s (OPH) Cold Weather website has information about preventing frostbite and hypothermia during cold weather in Ottawa, including links to resources in our community that help people access warm spaces, winter clothing, hot meals and food, assistance with home heating costs, finding emergency shelter (and transportation to shelter), and the locations of free public places to warm up.
• Our 2-1-1 provider, Community Navigation of Eastern Ontario, updates its 2022/23 Out of the Cold Information with local service and support information.
• A new interactive map of Places to Warm Up in Ottawa, that will be available on the OPH Cold Weather website in January 2023, will complement information already available in print about day programs, free meals, drop-in centres, as well as library and community centre locations that provide heated spaces people can spend time.
• The City of Ottawa has a Minimum Heat Requirement by-law that requires landlords who normally cover heating expenses, to maintain adequate and suitable heat at all times (i.e. not less than 16.67 degrees Celsius at night and not less than 20 degrees Celsius during the daytime).
In addition to the above, OPH and the City’s Community and Social Services Department work with the City’s Office of Emergency Management to plan for conditions that may require an enhanced, coordinated emergency response (for example, extreme cold in combination with a power outage). If required, the City can mobilize its Emergency Operations Centre to support any escalated response coordination.
The City of Ottawa Extreme Heat, Cold and Smog Planning Committee meets regularly to plan and coordinate activities to ensure people at risk of cold weather injuries and impacts can access warm spaces and services. This committee is made up of City Departments and community partners including The Salvation Army Outreach Services, the Canadian Red Cross Ottawa Branch, Ottawa Community Housing, and Community Navigation of Eastern Ontario.
Be Winter Ready!
The City of Ottawa and community agencies work together to provide information, services, and programs to help people stay warm in the winter and prevent cold weather injuries such as frostbite and hypothermia. Check out the Ottawa Public Heath/Cold Weather website!
Sign up for Environment and Climate Change Canada ‘EC Alert me’ emails or download the WeatherCAN app for extreme weather warnings. Environment and Climate Change Canada issues an Extreme Cold Warning in Ottawa when the temperature or wind chill is expected to reach -35° or colder for at least 2 hours.
Get advice and support:
▪ Call 2-1-1 for social services assistance (e.g., accessing warm clothing, contacts for community outreach services)
▪ Call 3-1-1 for information and assistance on helping someone get out of the cold including transportation.
▪ Call 8-1-1 Health Connect Ontario for non-emergency medical advice or 9-1-1 for medical emergency such as frostbite or hypothermia.
