Extreme cold weather in Regina leads to more calls for assistance

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When Cory Weist sees a cold snap coming, he knows he’ll have some long work days ahead.

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It’s why he pays close attention to the forecast.

Weist is a dispatcher with Outsiders Towing and Recovery in Regina. He receives calls from people across the city needing their car batteries boosted due to the extreme cold.

“I know it’s going to be stressful because I can’t get to every customer,” said Weist, who began working 12-hour days when temperatures dropped early this week. “And all the phones have been ringing off the hook.”

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Outsiders has two tow trucks that handle up to 30 boosts apiece in one day.

On especially frigid days, it could take up to six or eight hours before a truck arrives. Other companies had an even longer estimated wait time, Weist heard.

The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA), which offers roadside support, received 97 calls for vehicles needing a boost in Regina during a 24-hour period from Feb. 12 to 13, a company spokesperson told the Leader-Post via email.

Weist says the busy periods are predictable — at least as far as the weather forecast goes.

Calls to fix broken furnaces, boilers, water heaters, etc., also increase when it drops below -25 C, says Sterling Plumbing and Heating service manager Josh Sinkewicz, whose company offers emergency services at all hours.

An average day at Sterling includes 14 calls, but on cold days they receive closer to 26, he said.

A high volume of calls is anticipated during the current cold snap, so the company plans to keep a dispatcher working to help address the needs of customers.

Extreme cold warnings were issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada for most of the province on Wednesday and continued in some parts of the province into the Family Day long weekend.

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Extreme cold warnings are issued when the wind chill — an index that combines ambient temperature and wind speed — is expected to be -40 C or colder for a duration of two hours or longer.

There are a variety of warming spaces across the city to help keep people safe throughout the winter, said Lindsay DesRochers, community inclusion advisor for the City of Regina.

“The goal is to make sure everyone has a space to be inside when it’s this cold,” she said.

The warming spaces typically see about the same number of people throughout the winter. But the need for supports — whether it’s a toque, hand warmers or a hot cup of coffee — is more severe.

The Regina Police Service (RPS) says extreme weather was a factor in some of the calls it received over the first 13 days of February. Some of them were for various public assistance matters (241 total calls) and others were categorized as “unwanted guests” with individuals seeking shelter from the elements (225 total calls), an RPS spokesperson said in a written statement.

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The RPS also noted there had been a “slight increases in arson-related calls,” where “some fires were started by individuals attempting to stay warm.”

A link to a list of warming spaces around the city can be accessed here: https://www.regina.ca/home-property/safety-emergencies/emergency-preparedness/extreme-weather-alert/.

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