An emergency shelter opened in the Bridgewater area to help residents stay safe during the heavy snowfall that hit the province on February 10 and 11, 2026. The Town of Bridgewater worked with provincial officials to provide a warm place for people facing power outages, heating failures, or dangerous travel conditions. This move was made after a provincial weather advisory warned of significant snow accumulation coming to the South Shore region.
The shelter, run by Lunenburg County Ground Search and Rescue, opened its doors on Friday, February 6, at 6:00 p.m. to get ready for the storm. Located at the rescue group’s base on Harold Whynot Road in Pinegrove, the centre offered heat, electricity, and places for people to charge their phones. Volunteers stayed at the site through the worst of the snow on Tuesday and Wednesday to make sure anyone who lost power had a place to go.
Provincial officials told anyone needing help with health or utility issues that were not emergencies to contact 211 Nova Scotia. This phone service was the main way for people to find local help and overnight beds while keeping 911 open for life-threatening situations. Using this single number helped the province manage the needs of residents more quickly during the freezing cold weather.
The decision to open the shelter before the snow started was meant to help rural neighbours and drivers who often get stuck during big winter storms. Local leaders said that opening early helped reduce the time people had to go without heat or lights. Since most people in the area received the emergency alerts, the shelter acted as a reliable safety net for the community until the storm passed.
Work to clear the snow continued across the area after the storm ended to fix power lines and clean up local roads. While the heaviest snow has stopped, officials are asking residents to be careful while driving and to check on neighbours who might still need help. These local warm zones are part of a regular plan to keep the community safe during extreme winter weather.
