As bitter cold lingers across Alberta, Airdrie library opens its doors all night

Airdrie library opens all night during cold snap With no 24-hour shelters in town, the Airdrie library is opening its doors overnight to provide a warm space

In Airdrie, just north of Calgary, there is no 24-hour shelter where people can escape the frigid cold, so the public library decided to extend its hours.

Since Thursday, the Airdrie Public Library has been open around the clock, in order to act as a warming facility.

The city opened other facilities to help people with no place to warm up, but since none were scheduled to stay open overnight, the library decided it could help out.

Along with warmth, it offers books to help pass the time.

“It’s been wonderful,” said Sharyn Demers, the trac supervisor at the Airdrie Public Library. “The whole community spirit has shown so much heart for this.”

Those sentiments were echoed by Cheryl Allen, who is staying at the library with her cat while the polar vortex freezes Alberta.

“I’m really blessed that there is a place to go when it is cold like this,” Allen said. “And the community is really good.”

In Airdrie’s last city council meeting in 2023, council discussed the next steps forward in responding to homelessness in the city.