Hope Mission shuttle bus to run 24/7 throughout winter

The Hope Mission shelter on 106 Avenue in Edmonton. (Cam Wiebe/CTV News Edmonton)

The city is expanding its bus services during the winter to help vulnerable Edmontonians.

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Overnight buses will run on north and south routes from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. until March 31, during which a bus will run on a route from Kingsway Transit Centre to downtown 24 hours a day for access to shelters and health-care facilities, the city announced on Friday.

The Hope Mission shuttle is new; previously, the city offered overnight service between Kingsway and downtown.

“We’ve expanded this service to provide vulnerable Edmontonians access to transportation day and night. This route will connect them to warm, safe spaces and essential services such as shelters, day programs and health-care facilities throughout the winter months,” a spokesperson said.

The city will continue to activate an extreme-cold response when temperatures are expected to be -20 C or colder for at least three days in a row. Al Rashid Mosque’s overnight shelter’s capacity has been expanded to 50 people during these events.

As well, the city, Primary Care Alberta and social agencies have partnered to provide pop-up health clinics every Tuesday (unless the weather is -30 C or colder) at Butler Park. At these afternoon clinics, medical staff will be able to provide wound care, health education and assessments, sexually transmitted infection testing, and assess potential frostbite cases.

More information about shelters and daytime spaces is available online.