Extreme Cold

• Create a household emergency plan, including a family meeting place and an out-of-area contact where all family members can check in, in case you're separated. Practice your household emergency plan until everyone knows their role, and practice every six months.
• Prepare an emergency kit to be self-sufficient for a minimum of 72 hours, but preferably one week. In addition to a home emergency kit, you should also have one in your vehicle and at work or school. Consider adding the following items:
  • Rock salt or more environmentally safe products to melt ice on walkways and driveways
  • Sand to improve traction
  • Snow shovels
• Take first aid and emergency preparedness workshops and keep your training current.
• Consider getting an external power bank/battery for cellphones and fully charging so it's ready as backup.
• Monitor Environment Canada weather alerts. When warnings occur, do a quick run through of your emergency plan.

• Winterize your home by insulating walls and attics, caulking, weather stripping doors and windows, and insulating pipes. Learn more about preparing your home for the cold.
• Have the BC Hydro number ready (1-800-224-9376) to report an outage, and prepare for an outage before it happens.
• Keep fire extinguishers on hand, and make sure everyone in your house knows how to use them.
• Learn how to shut off water valves in case a pipe bursts.
•  Prepare your vehicle by getting it ready for winter and keeping it in good repair, learning about safe winter driving, adding emergency supplies to your vehicle, and keeping your gas tank at least half full.

• If possible stay indoors.
• If you must go outdoors during extremely cold temperatures:
  • Dress appropriately. Thin layers of loose fitting clothing will trap body heat while aiding air circulation. Outer clothing should be hooded, tightly woven, and water repellent. Mittens are warmer than gloves. Wear a hat to prevent heat loss. If it's extremely cold, cover your mouth with a scarf to protect your lungs.
  • Limit your time out and watch out for signs of frostbite or hypothermia. Symptoms are shivering, confusion, and loss of muscular control; if symptoms occur, seek medical assistance immediately. Check out HealthLinkBC for information on cold temperature exposure.
• Be cautious when walking on icy streets as there's a high risk of slipping and injuries.
• Pay attention to wind chill. Frostbite becomes an increasing threat to humans and animals. Wet skin or wet clothing in direct contact with skin increases the effective wind chill.
• Be careful when shovelling. Vigorous exercise and cold temperatures can cause high blood pressure and accelerated heart rates. Take breaks, shovel with a buddy, warm up your muscles before you start, don't shovel right after you eat, and check with your doctor if you suffer from a particular condition.

Where to warm up in the City

When faced with extreme cold events in Abbotsford during the winter, it is important we all stay warm in order to stay safe. Stay warm at any of the following facilities:

• Abbotsford Recreation Centre at 2499 McMillan Rd (Monday – Sunday 5:30 am – 10 pm)
• Matsqui Recreation Centre at 3106 Clearbrook Rd (Monday – Saturday 6 am – 10 pm, Sunday 10 am - 8 am)
• Abbotsford Community Library at 33355 Bevan Ave (Monday – Thursday 9 am – 8 pm | Friday- Saturday 10 am – 5 pm| Sunday 1 pm – 5 pm)
• Clearbrook Library at 32320 George Ferguson Way (Monday – Thursday 9 am – 8 pm | Friday – Sunday 10 am – 5 pm)
• Mt. Lehman Library at 5875 Mt. Lehman Road  (Tuesday – Friday 1 pm – 5 pm)
• The Reach Gallery Museum at 32388 Veterans Way (Tuesday – Friday 10 am – 5 pm | Saturdays 12 pm – 5 pm)

When temperatures drop, BC Housing offers cold weather services in Abbotsford. Along with regular emergency shelters that are open 24/7, additional Extreme Weather Shelter spaces are open at:

• Penny’s Place, Sarah for Women: Women 19+ by referral only 604-746-3301
• Gateway Church: 2884 Gladys Ave, 604-859-5927 

Extreme Weather Shelters are part of the Extreme Weather Response Plan (EWR) and are operational on days when temperature is at or below 1 degrees Celsius (-1 with the wind chill), or there is a measureable or significant snow accumulation, or conditions are deemed severe enough to present a substantial threat to the life and health of a person experiencing homelessness. These conditions include prolonged inclement weather in combination with low temperatures.

During Emergency Weather Conditions, transportation to and from EWR shelters can be available by calling: Transport Dispatch Contact at 236-668-2590. Transportation dispatch is available between 7:30 pm and 11:30 pm. 

Regular emergency shelters are open 24/7 at:

• Salvation Army Centre of Hope: Men and Women 19+ 34081 Gladys Ave, 604-852-9305
• Lookout Society Lonzo Shelter: Men and Women 19+ intake before 9pm, 34520 Lonzo Rd, 236-500-0966
• Lookout Society Lighthouse Shelter: Men and Women 19+, by referral only 604-744-1221
• Lookout Society Sumas Shelter: Men and Women 19+, by referral only 604-744-1221
• Cyrus Centre: youth up to 24 years, 2616 Ware Street, 604-859-5773
• Penny’s Place, Sarah for Women: Women 19+ only, intake before 10pm, 604-746-3301
• Sparrow Older Adult Shelter: Men and Women 50+, 604-991-9637

Seasonal Shelters (October - April) nightly

• Sparrow Seasonal Shelter (Mom and Wayne’s), Men and Women 50+, 604-991-9637
• The Nest: Women only, by referral, 604-835-5225

Please call or visit the location for see if a spot is available.

View the Abby ACCESS Street Card

• Contact BC Hydro to report a power outage.
• If the power is out, keep warm by layering clothes that cover your head, hands, and feet. Close off all rooms not in use. NEVER use gas ranges or propane heaters for indoor heating or cooking, as carbon monoxide gas can build up and cause suffocation.
• If you see lines or poles down, or see any sparks, flames or smoke, call 911 immediately. Keep back a minimum of 10 metres (33 feet) from the wires or anything in contact with them, and warn others of the danger. Always assume that the lines are energized.
• Tune into your local media (on your battery operated/wind up radio if the power is out) for up-to-date information.
• If the power is out and the temperatures have dropped, allow your faucets to drip a little to avoid freezing pipes.

• Drive only if it's absolutely necessary. If you must drive, check current road conditions, travel by daylight with a buddy if possible, keep others informed of your schedule, stay on main roads, and avoid back road shortcuts.
• Ensure your vehicle is ready for winter driving. Top up your windshield washer fluid, have a full tank of gas, carry a windshield scraper and snowbrush, and bring a shovel and traction assists such as sand or kitty litter. All-season tires designated by the M&S (mud and snow) on their tire wall will perform better than summer tires, but winter tires (designated by a snowflake symbol) are highly recommended and are legally required on some routes.
• If you must travel alone, make sure someone knows your route, and your departure and expected arrival times. Be sure to notify them when you arrive.

The main reason for frozen lines is due to the depth of the water service pipe. Shallow depth pipes are most often found in older neighbourhoods or where owners have regraded their properties, removing soil cover. Insufficient insulation near and around internal pipes can also cause frozen pipes.

The signs of frozen pipes are:

• No water or very little water coming out of the faucet. Check all faucets in your home.
• Frost on your internal pipes, including on your main shut-off valve.
• Flooding – frozen water can cause pipes to burst and cause flooding inside your home

Partial water service indicates that a pipe is frozen somewhere in the house. A complete lack of water service can be the result of a frozen water meter or a frozen pipe leading from the water main in the street to the house, call the City for assistance if this is the case. A meter or water pipe that feels extremely cold is most likely frozen. It's important to clear frozen blockages as soon as possible to minimize the danger of pipes bursting in some inaccessible spot and causing damage inside your house.

• If your house or basement is flooding, turn off the main shut-off valve inside your home. If you believe your pipes have frozen, turn off water at the main shut-off valve and call a plumber
• Check all other faucets in your home to find out if you have additional frozen pipes. If one pipe freezes, others may also freeze. When in doubt, always call a plumber.
• Once you have checked all the items listed above, including contacting a plumber,  but continue to have no water please call the City. 
• If you have no water at any tap/location in your home, please contact the City for further assistance. 

• You can try the steps outlined below to help thaw frozen pipes. In most instances, it is best to call a licensed plumber.
• Moving water prevents ice from forming all the way through the pipe and helps maintain the flow of non-frozen water. Keep a trickle of water running from the highest faucet in your house. The trickle should be size of a pencil point. You will be billed for the water used,  but this procedure may help prevent more costly repairs resulting from broken pipes. Repair costs associated with frozen pipes are the responsibility of the homeowner. 
• If a water pipe has frozen and burst, turn off the water at the main shut-off valve in the house. Open a nearby faucet slightly so the pipe can drain as it thaws
• Thaw pipes by applying hot air from a hair dryer, electric heater or by using a heating pad. Do not use electrical appliances in areas of standing water because you could be electrocuted. Never use hot water or a blowtorch on a frozen pipe or water meter.
• Frozen underground pipes running into the house may require the application of electric current or other thawing devices. A licensed plumber must address this problem. If frozen underground lines outside the house are an annual problem, consider lowering them in the spring to a point below the frost line.
• Check all other faucets in your home to find out if you have additional frozen pipes. If one pipe freezes, others may also freeze. When in doubt, always call a plumber.

• Look for cold draughts
  • Check around your home for areas where water supply lines are in unheated areas and take measures to prevent the flow of cold air in these areas.
  • Common locations include: the basement, crawl spaces, attics, garages and under kitchen and bathroom cabinets.
  • A hot water supply line can freeze just like a cold water supply line if water is not running through the pipe and the water temperatures becomes cold. Both hot and cold water pipes in these drafty areas should be insulated.
• Insulate pipes
  • Consider installing specific products made to insulate water pipes like a pipe sleeve or installing UL-listed heat tape, heat cable or similar materials on exposed pipes.
• Find your water shut-off valve
  • Every homeowner should know where the main water shut-off valve is in their house and learn how to use it.
  • For most homes the water main shut-off valve is located at the point where the water line comes into your home, which usually in your basement.
  • If you live in a condo or townhome, call your management company or condo corporation to find out where the shut off value is for your unit. 
• Protect garage pipes
  • If you have plumbing in your garage, keep your garage door closed when it's very cold. Pipes in unheated garages or basements should be insulated.
• Seal your home from winter
  • Stop the drafts! Repair broken windows, check your doors and insulate areas that allow cold exterior air to enter.
• Be prepared when travelling
  • If you are leaving your home for an extended period of time in the winter, set your thermostat at 15 degrees or higher, and have someone check your house every second day and have them check for signs of freezing.
• Winterize outside faucets
  • Make sure the water line to outside faucets (such as your garden hose) is turned off, and your hoses are disconnected, and the line is drained
  • If your house has a history of frozen water lines during extreme cold weather periods, you could consider leaving a cold water tap nearest where it enters your home running slowly with a thin stream around the width of a pencil lead. This running water could help prevent the service pipe from freezing.