The Airdrie Public Library is getting a lot of consideration for housing weak individuals throughout the excessive chilly in Alberta, setting an instance for different cities and nations.
Temperatures plummeted beneath 35 levels prior to now week, and Albertans desperately wanted a heat spot to spend the evening, however not everybody had entry to at least one.
Airdrie, simply north of Calgary, determined to assist by creating various warming shelters like the general public library — which prolonged its working hours across the clock.
Sharyn Demers, the TRAC supervisor on the Airdrie Public Library says it was open from Wednesday to Monday amid the chilly snap, 24 hours a day.
Airdrie doesn’t have a 24-hour shelter to maintain unhoused individuals protected from the chilly, so the town requested the general public library to remain open and provide a protected house.
“It was simply wonderful that the entire group was rallying round and been there for anyone in want,” she stated.
The library’s efforts haven’t gone unnoticed as many different libraries, even from totally different nations, took curiosity on this initiative.
“So far as we all know it’s solely our library that’s finished this, we’ve really had libraries from internationally attain out to us and say what an exquisite factor that we had finished and that was one thing that they by no means considered doing earlier than,” she defined.
“Even locations in Australia and Singapore and Philippines, England, Scotland… they had been simply amazed that we really did this and we weren’t anticipating that sort of suggestions.”
Watch: Houseless individuals in Calgary in danger in excessive chilly climate
Demers says they’d a number of individuals going out and in over the previous days and two who’ve spent the evening.
“One girl really had her two cats together with her. She lives in a motor residence and he or she couldn’t maintain it heat and the door saved freezing shut, so her two cats and her moved into this room really for that interval, and one other gentleman wanted dental surgical procedure and so he was right here by that point and provided him a heat house,” she stated.
Demers says the town offered backpacks with garments, blankets and water. The group pitched in too by dropping off meals and reward playing cards, in addition to referring choices for help that may make a distinction in the long run.
Airdrie Public Library says they’ll prolong their working hours to supply a heat spot once more when it’s required.
