‘We’re not used to it this year’: Extreme cold impacting Winnipeggers

Posted on December 11, 2024 by Peggy

The extreme cold has settled over much of Manitoba and the bone chilling temperatures are impacting people across the province, including in Winnipeg.

“We’re not used to it this year,” one Winnipegger walking outside told CTV News.

While some may not be used to this temperature yet, CAA Manitoba is very used to it and the impact it has on vehicles.

“The very extreme cold weather is taking a toll, and in fact, 67 per cent of our calls are battery related,” said Nadia Matos, the manager of external communications with CAA Manitoba.

CAA had hundreds of calls for help Wednesday and wait times were roughly a half hour. But the company was prioritizing people in unsafe situations, such as those stranded in ditches or those with pets and kids in the car.

While some might be dealing with car problems, others in the city are just trying to find a place to stay warm for a little while.

“People out there might be losing fingers to frostbite today,” said Paul Loewen, the community education coordinator with Siloam Mission.

He said the shelter is basically full year-round and the extreme cold just puts extra pressure on Siloam and other community organizations to find space for people.

“We’ve got 146 beds in the shelter and 116 capacity in the overnight warming space. And then there’s obviously other shelters that have increased capacity in winter as well.”

Siloam Mission said it will make sure everyone who arrives has a place to be inside, so they don’t have to deal with the extreme cold outside.

If the public sees someone outside who appears to be in distress, they are told to call 211 and an outreach team will be dispatched to do a wellness check.

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