The opening of the Quebec Carnival will be marked by an “intense” cold snap that should bring what feels like near -45 degrees C for more than a day.
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The chill we’ve been experiencing since yesterday is just a “foretaste,” supports Environment Canada meteorologist Andrée Cantin, as the “worse is coming” Thursday night into Friday, when strong winds will leave us feeling close to -45 its degrees Celsius.
Strong gusts of wind and blowing snow will also be part of the day on Friday, Mr Cantin points out, while cold records could even be broken.
Straight from the North Pole
Short-lived but “very intense,” this first cold snap, with air coming straight down from the Canadian Arctic and even the North Pole, is set to end on Sunday.
Prolonged outdoor activities should therefore be avoided on Friday and Saturday, especially for children and the elderly, supports the Health Department of the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale, which issued appropriate recommendations yesterday.
“Extreme exposure to cold can result in a significant risk of frostbite, frostbite, or hypothermia, which are responsible for serious injury,” it says.
“Public health is also a reminder that people suffering from cardiac or respiratory arrest, angina, asthma, diabetes and neurological disorders are at risk of worsening their symptoms when exposed to extreme cold,” we read.
Possible cancellations
At Mardi Gras, where the celebrations are due to start on Friday evening, we are monitoring the situation very closely. Even if no program change is currently announced, a partial or complete cancellation is one of the scenarios envisaged by the organizers.
The “Electro Frette” evening planned for Friday evening, which rightly bears its name, could be canceled or postponed. “It’s this occasional evening that’s keeping me busy at the moment,” says the event’s general director, Marie-Ève Jacob.
“If we determine that the risks are too high, both for the workers, the volunteers and the carnival-goers, we will act accordingly,” she claims. Should there be cancellations, the information would be transmitted to the social networks of the event.
overflows
The freezing cold is also a concern for homeless shelters, who fear “serious consequences” if they have to turn away people for lack of space.
“I’m already turning down 10 people per night,” complains Éric Boulay, general manager of Lauberivière, where the 101 beds are already occupied every night.
“At this temperature, it only takes a few minutes before you get frostbite,” he fears.
To help those in need, Mr Boulay plans to open the doors of Lauberivière on Friday from 7am to offer lunch to those who spent the night outdoors. “We don’t have more resources or more people to do it, but we will do it,” he said.
He also mentions that the population can make a donation by texting the word “soup” to 41010 to help the center meet this greater demand for meals.
We also fear the worst at the Nocturnal Chimney on rue Saint-Joseph, where nearly 70 people rest and warm up every night. “We take down the tables and distribute blankets and people can lie on the floor. It’s the best we can do,” says manager Olivier Martin. “We expect an increase. We’ve never turned anyone down and we hope we don’t go there,” he continues.
The story is the same at Project Moon, an organization that defends the rights of sex workers, where 12 beds are available. Here, too, we are already working at full speed.
“We’re looking at what we can do over the next few nights. When we’re full, we see if we can let a woman in, tell her to stay seated, that we’re out of beds. But we don’t have more stakeholders, so we’re looking at what’s possible,” says Director Chantal Simoneau. However, the center on Charest Boulevard could open in the afternoons in very cold weather. “We close at noon and open at 6pm in the evening, but in this cold weather it can take six hours outside,” she said.
The weather for the next few days:
Friday :
Maximum: -26
minute: -29
Feels like temperature: between -40 and -45
Night from Friday to Saturday:
- minutes: -35
- Feels Like Temperature: Between -40 and 45
Saturday :
- Maximum: -20
- minute: -31
- Feels like temperature – 30 to -32
Night from Saturday to Sunday:
- minute: -27
- Feels like temperature: close to -30
Sunday :
Source: Environment Canada