Winter is coming and the Province is helping ensure people in B.C. are prepared for the arrival of colder temperatures and other winter hazards with new cold-weather response funding and preparedness resources.

“Our changing climate means weather events are becoming more extreme, regardless of the season,” said George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. “Winter weather can be especially unpredictable and dangerous in B.C. and the cold and snow are challenging for many people. To help people prepare and stay safe through the winter, the Province has released a new cold-weather preparedness guide, as well as new funding for cold-weather preparedness.”

The Province is working with the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres (BCAAFC) and United Way BC to help keep people safer during cold weather. The BCAAFC will implement cold-weather preparedness and response initiatives through 22 friendship centres. These initiatives will, in part, ensure there are warming areas and extended hours and services for elders, and extended hours and services in shelters for unhoused people.

“The last decade has seen increasing climate extremes, including devastating floods, fires and cold freezes,” said Leslie Varley, executive director, BCAAFC. “With each change of the season, friendship centres gear up to support Indigenous people facing displacement, food and housing insecurity, and the trauma of acute loss. These much-needed funds will improve the cold-weather support we can provide and help ensure our community members are prepared for the coming winter.”

United Way BC will develop a cold-weather emergency preparations guide for not-for-profit organizations and fund implementation of the recommendations in the guide to partner organizations supporting seniors and communities who may be more vulnerable to extreme weather in B.C.  

“It is often the most vulnerable who suffer the most during extreme weather events,” said Michael McKnight, president and CEO, United Way BC. “The charitable sector is vital when anticipating extreme weather events, so we’re grateful to the Province for this funding, which will help support people during harsh winters. United Way BC is proud to be part of the effort to keep all British Columbians safe.”

The Province provided each organization $200,000 for this work. These grants are in addition to more than $430,000 in provincial funding announced in August for the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund to support communities to plan for extreme temperatures.

The Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness works proactively with communities to ensure they have the supports and resources needed to protect people when extreme weather events are forecast. The Province provides reimbursements to local authorities and First Nations for opening emergency warming centres during extreme weather. Warming centres help people warm up during cold weather and provide information about how to safely stay warm.

This month, the Province is introducing a new feature on EmergencyInfoBC for First Nations and local governments to add the locations of emergency warming centres, public warming spaces and Emergency Support Services reception centres to a provincewide map, EmergencyMapBC.ca. This will help people find these resources during extreme cold-weather events.

Emergency shelter spaces are also available through BC Housing for people in need of a warm, safe place to stay. This winter, the Province is funding 5,000 shelter spaces in 50 communities throughout the province, including permanent, temporary and extreme-weather response (EWR) shelters. EWR spaces open overnight when a community issues an extreme weather alert, such as during cold temperatures, snow or heavy rain. More shelter spaces will open this winter season as communities identify additional sites.

The Province has also created a new multi-language winter-weather and storm-preparedness guide to help people get ready for, and know what to do when, severe winter weather arrives. The guide is available in Punjabi, simplified and traditional Chinese, French and English on the PreparedBC website.

People are encouraged to visit the PreparedBC site and familiarize themselves with safety tips and available resources to stay safe this winter. Following the tips below can go a long way toward keeping people safe when severe winter weather strikes:

• Wear winter gear: Always wear clothing appropriate for the weather. Dressing in layers, with a wind- and water-resistant outer layer, provides flexibility for changing conditions. To avoid frostbite, cover as much exposed skin as possible by wearing hats, scarves and gloves. Try to stay dry and change out of wet clothing as soon as possible.

• Be prepared for power outages: Severe weather can cause power outages. Be prepared for up to one week by developing a household emergency plan and putting together an emergency kit. If you encounter a downed or damaged power line, assume it is live and a danger. Stay back at least 10 metres (the length of a bus) and call 911 immediately to report it.

• Winterize your home: Now is a good time to winterize your home by insulating walls and attics, weather-stripping doors and windows, clearing rain gutters and removing tree branches that could fall during windstorms.

People who use the backcountry are urged to be mindful of conditions and use extreme caution in mountainous terrain. Download the Avalanche Canada app to get the latest avalanche forecasts.

Additionally, the Province recently added information on extreme cold and winter storms to ClimateReadyBC, including new data and tools. It is the province’s one-stop hub for hazard and risk mapping, tools, data and resources to help communities better prepare for future disasters and climate emergencies.

Learn More:

PreparedBC is a one-stop shop for disaster readiness information. To view the new winter weather and storm guide, visit: https://www.preparedbc.ca
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PreparedBC/
Follow on X (Twitter): @PreparedBC

To find the locations of emergency warming centres, public warming spaces, and Emergency Support Services reception centres, during extreme-weather emergencies, visit: http://www.EmergencyMapBC.ca

To find verified information during all partial and full-scale provincial emergencies, visit: https://www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca/
Follow on X (Twitter): @EmergencyInfoBC

For information for communities about extreme cold and winter storm risks, visit: https://climatereadybc.gov.bc.ca/pages/extreme-cold-winter-storms

For information about where to find indoor shelter spaces that are currently operating, visit BC Housing’s shelter map: https://smap.bchousing.org/

For weather forecasts and current road conditions, before leaving, check @DriveBC on X (Twitter) or visit: https://drivebc.ca/

For road advisories and information, visit: https://www.tranbc.ca/current-travel-advisories

For winter driving tips, visit: https://www.shiftintowinter.ca

For what to include in a vehicle preparedness kit, read:
https://roadsafetyatwork.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/SIW-Prepare-Your-Vehicle-for-Winter-Weather.pdf

For information on winter tires and chains regulations, visit:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation/driving-and-cycling/traveller-information/seasonal/winter-driving

First Nations and local governments can use the Community Response Locations Portal to add emergency warming centres, public warming spaces, and Emergency Support Services reception centres directly to EmergencyMapBC.ca during extreme-weather emergencies. To learn about the Community Response Locations Portal, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-management/local-emergency-programs/local-gov-operations

For the latest avalanche forecasts from Avalanche Canada, visit: https://avalanche.ca

For information about the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres, visit: https://bcaafc.com/

For information about United Way BC, visit: https://uwbc.ca/