Extreme cold puts a chill on parties — and penguins

The Calgary Zoo is taking steps to protect animals from the cold — even those that are built to withstand it. Zoo curator Malu Celli said the zoo’s king penguins have been moved inside because of the bone-chilling weather, which has dropped to below -25C.

Celli said the tuxedoed birds likely would be fine if they waddled into the cold, but with chicks still maturing, zookeepers prefer to err on the side of caution. She said king penguins are accustomed to chilly weather, but they tend to live in milder climates than their Antarctic cousins, emperor penguins.

The long-lasting cold snap also led human Calgarians to join other cities, including Toronto, Ottawa and Edmonton, which cancelled or adjusted their New Year’s Eve plans, as much of the country remained under extreme cold warnings issued by Environment Canada.

Mississauga followed Toronto’s lead, opting to begin its outdoor festivities just half an hour before midnight — a plan its next-door neighbour finalized on Thursday.

An Edmonton city spokesperson said that while fireworks would go ahead at midnight, people were encouraged to watch the festivities online, while Calgary officials urged people to watch the ball drop on TV rather than out in the cold. Cape Breton also cancelled its outdoor plans on Sunday, noting that Environment Canada was calling for wind speeds up to 50 kilometres per hour and a wind chill of -20 C.

But in spite of frigid temperatures, other cities decided to forge ahead with plans. In Montreal, a huge New Year’s Eve party to cap the city’s 375th-birthday celebrations went ahead as planned, but organizers expected attendance to drop because of cold-weather warnings. Quebec City organizers said residents were accustomed to the cold and New Year’s Eve plans would not be cancelled.