Montreal's outdoor New Year's Eve celebrations at the Old Port will go ahead as planned, despite forcasts calling for temperatures well below -20.
Martin Durocher, the co-founder of Merry Montreal, the organizing group, says they are taking steps to make sure people have a place to go to escape the bitter cold.
"We'll create a zone with about 20 heat lamps so people can warm up and stay in the show zone," Durocher says.
The party is also serving as a finale for Montreal's year-long celebrations for Montreal's 375th birthday. Durocher says there will be a significant first-aid presence, in case there are cold-related issues.
"Before we knew about the cold, we increased security and increased first aid teams," he said.
A similar party last year, when the temperature at midnight was a balmy -9 degrees, drew 150,000 people. Organizers are hoping for a similar number this year.