With temperatures below -20 C and wind chill values below -30 in the forecast, many municipalities have opened temporary warming centres for anyone looking to escape the cold.
Community centres in Cambridge are open as warming centres for their usual areas, as are library branches and City Hall.
In Kitchener, all community centres function as warming centres during their normal operating hours, as can arenas and Kitchener Public Library branches. Kitchener City Hall is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the week and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends.
Two warming centres are open in North Dumfries, both in Ayr. The North Dumfries Community Complex is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., while the library can also be used as a warming centre during normal operating hours.
Waterloo City Centre on Regina Street is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, while RIM Park, the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Centre and the Albert McCormick Community Centre are open until midnight. Anyone in need of warmth can also find it at the Adult Recreation Centre on King Street or Region of Waterloo building on Regina Street, both of which are open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.
In Wellesley, library branches in Linwood, St. Clements and Wellesley itself can be used as warming centres during normal operating hours.
Libraries also act as warming centres in Wilmot, with branches in Baden, New Dundee and New Hamburg open their regular hours. The Wilmot Recreation Centre and township office are also open on their regular schedule.
Warming centres in Woolwich include library branches in Bloomingdale, Elmira and St. Jacobs, the Woolwich Memorial Centre (open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.), the township office, and the Breslau Community Centre.
Waterloo Region also maintains a list of emergency shelters, which can be found here.
