Extreme Weather Response
When Calgary’s weather turns dangerous, no one should face it alone. We work with community partners across the city to ensure people experiencing homelessness have access to safe spaces and support when they need it most.
What is EWR?
Extreme Weather Response (EWR) is a collaborative effort between the City of Calgary, Calgary Homeless Foundation, and over 20 local organizations throughout the city. The program provides spaces throughout the city for individuals experiencing homelessness, as well as connection to overnight shelters and resources. EWR activates during Calgary’s cold winter months or during other extreme weather conditions that threaten the health and safety of people experiencing homelessness, such as extreme heat or wildfire smoke.
What is extreme weather?
Despite Calgary’s reputation as a cold weather city, extreme conditions can take multiple forms. EWR helps to address all of them.
Extreme cold
When temperatures drop below -20°C, exposure becomes life-threatening within minutes. EWR seasonal day spaces provide immediate shelter and connect people to overnight accommodations and longer-term supports.
Extreme heat
High temperatures combined with humidity can cause heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Cooling centres offer relief and hydration during dangerous heat events.
Wildfire smoke
Poor air quality from wildfire smoke poses serious respiratory risks, especially for vulnerable populations. Clean air spaces provide safe environments during smoke events.
Flooding
Severe weather and flooding can displace people and create dangerous conditions. Emergency response includes temporary shelter and connection to essential services.
Seasonal Day Spaces
Seasonal day spaces are welcoming, safe, and supportive spaces where individuals can access warm shelter, hot meals and beverages, winter clothing, and connection to support services. Many locations also provide shuttle transportation to overnight shelters. Each centre offers culturally appropriate services and works to create pathways from emergency response to stable housing.
Current day space locations and availability
Journey Church
A year-round day space that connects individuals to services and system navigation supports. In partnership with Distress Centre Calgary, staff provide snacks, coffee, essential items, and help people access coordinated care, health services, housing supports, community resources, and Housing Strategist support through the Coordinated Access and Assessment (CAA) system.
Open Mon. Fri. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Mustard Seed
A year-round, welcoming community day space offering a variety of services including coffee, bagged lunches, daily hot meals, essential items, emergency clothing, employment support, system navigation and referrals, Housing Strategist support, group programming, and more.
Regular hours: 8 a.m.–6 p.m. daily
Winter hours: Dec.1,2025- March 31, 2026, open daily 7.a.m.- 7 p.m.
Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary
A culturally safe warming space, offering coffee,tea, bannock, and a wide range of programs and services for Calgary’s urban Indigenous community, including support with status cards, Jordan’s principle applications, housing, community and youth programs,
Indigenous cultural education and outreach, and employment resources.
Dec. 1, 2025 – March 31, 2026
Open Mon. to Fri. 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Sat. & Sun. 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Wood’s Homes- Inglewood Opportunity Hub
Drop-in space offers showers, laundry, food hampers, daily meals, hygiene products, clothing, rest stations, and a scheduled calendar of activities and events. On-site professional services include recovery and mental health counsellors, crisis counsellors, employment counsellors, and housing supports.
*Youth and young adults only, ages 15-29.
Dec. 1, 2025 – March 31, 2026
Open daily 9 a.m. – 5 p.m
Mobile warming and cooling stations
The Salvation Army Mobile Warming and Cooling Stations are in place during EWR activation. They offer food, hot drinks, and transportation to shelters on cold days and tents, bottled water, freezies, snacks and other summer essentials on hot days. These mobile units bring essential services directly to areas where people are sheltering outdoors, ensuring help reaches everyone who needs it.
Shelter Shuttle
The shelter shuttle provides free transportation for individuals at CTrain stations to emergency shelters, where they can access support services. For current shuttle locations or pick-up requests, please call the HELP Team Dispatch.
HELP Team Dispatch: 403-998-7388
Dec. 1, 2025 – March 31, 2026
Operates daily from 10:30 p.m. – 4 a.m.
What is the impact of EWR?
| Impact | 2024-2025 | 2023-2024 | 2022-2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seasonal day space visits | 37,180 | 26,796 | 19,327 |
| Seasonal day space unique individuals | – | 2,296 | 1,695 |
| Outreach team accessing supplies | 23 | 25 | 23 |
| Emergency shelter shuttle transports | 2,227 | 2,823 | 925 |
| Unique individuals accessing shuttle | 1,149 | 1,296 | – |
| 2024–2025 Infographic | 2023–2024 Infographic | 2022–2023 Infographic |
Our EWR partners
Point-in-time count reports
Our biennial Point-in-Time Count provides a snapshot of homelessness in Calgary, helping us understand who is experiencing homelessness and how extreme weather response fits into the broader system of support.
