Arctic air taking toll on northwestern Ontario, with frigid temperatures expected for another day

Northwestern Ontario has been hit with extreme cold this week, with temperatures reaching toward –40 C across much of the region.

The extreme weather began to settle in at the end of last week and is expected to hold on until at least Tuesday afternoon. 

"During this time, relief from the cold even during the daytime hours when you would typically expect temperatures to maybe moderate a bit is expected to be limited," said Kristina Kretchman, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Kretchman said the cold snap is due to a cold front moving through Ontario, mixed with a northwest air flow bringing down some colder Arctic air to the region.

Environment Canada issued extreme cold warnings for over 23 communities in the northwest area on Sunday. The warning reminds people to watch for cold related symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain, and colour change in fingers and toes.

"If it's too cold for you to stay outside, it's too cold for your pet to stay outside. Outdoor workers should take regularly scheduled breaks to warm up," reads the warning issued by the weather agency.

School bus cancellations

The cold weather is impacting some student transportation in the northwest Monday. All school buses in White River and Hornepayne have been cancelled for the day, according to the Algoma and Huron Superior Transportation Services agency.

The Northwestern Ontario Student Services Consortium said all buses are cancelled Monday in the region.

Buses are expected to run in Thunder Bay, but Student Transportation Services of Thunder Bay said students should dress warmly before heading to school.

"Individual route cancellations and delays may occur and students are reminded to dress appropriately for frostbite conditions. As always, it is a parental decision on whether to put their child on the bus when buses are operating in inclement weather," reads a statement posted online by the transportation agency.

Cold weather amplifies mental health challenges, agency says

Some community organizations in Thunder Bay have extended hours of operation in hopes of keeping vulnerable people safe and warm.

The Care Bus, operated by Nor'West Community Health Centres, has added an extra four hours onto its operations during the extreme cold. The bus acts as a mobile warming and harm reduction hub, but also transports people to other services in the city.

"So of course we're seeing frostbite, hypothermia and we know that those can lead to long term injuries and even deaths," said Brittany D'Angelo, director of Mental Health and Substance Use Programs at Northwest Community Health Centres.

"Beyond those physical health things that we're seeing, we can't underestimate the psychological toll that extreme cold can have on individuals. So the stress of finding shelter and a warm space amplifies things like anxiety, depression and other mental health challenges," added D'Angelo.

Care Bus workers can be reached at 807-630-8631 during operating hours.

Other homelessness prevention and warming programs in the city include:

• People Advocating for Change Through Empowerment (PACE)'s warming centre at 510 Victoria Ave. E.
• Elevate NWO's warming centre at 106 Cumberland St. N.

Emergency shelter beds are available over the winter at:

• Shelter House Thunder Bay: 420 George St.
• Salvation Army Journey to Life Centre: 545 Cumberland St. N.
• Grace Place: 235 Simpson St.
• Urban Abbey: 308 Red River Rd.