'We want them to find their lives again': Hay River homeless shelter opens its doors

Warren Rymer was one of the first people to come to Hay River's new homeless shelter a few weeks ago. 

Now, he spends every night there in a bed with his name on it. 

Rymer, a long-time Hay Riverite, is waiting to get into an alcohol addiction treatment program in Edmonton. 

"I just decided one day I just wasn't going to do it anymore," Rymer said, referring to drinking. 

"This is the first step of getting to where I want to be." 

The shelter is tucked around the corner of one of Hay River's busiest industrial streets and the signage for it is discreet, giving patrons some privacy. Men can come take a shower, get a warm meal and get any clothes they need from a wall of donation bins in the backroom. 

So far, there are eight men staying at the shelter. There are plans to open up a separate room for women soon, according to Lillian Crook, president of the Hay River Committee for Persons with Disabilities. 

'We want them to find their lives again'

Volunteers from the committee are the backbone of the operation. 

They start with a full intake, where they ask each man for more information about their history, medical needs and any other ways the shelter can support them. Then, they're assigned one of eight beds, and come and go as they please. 

Volunteers do everything for the men there, from cooking warm food to helping them apply for health cards or showing them how to do laundry. 

A small paper sign on the shelter's front door displays its name — the "Move Forward" program. 

Crook says the name of the shelter reflects their goals.

"It's not just getting them off the street, we want them to find their lives again," she said. 

More funding needed for daytime hours, skill training

So far, Crook said they've secured enough funding to keep the lights on for the next two years, but they're looking for more. 

There are few places for the homeless to go when the weather gets cold, Crook continued, so ideally they would be able to operate the shelter 24/7.

The shelter is only open from 6 p.m. to  8 a.m., something that Crook said creates a "long day" of wandering downtown for the men. 

As well, she said being back on the street means a possible relapse for those struggling with addiction. 

"They find it hard when they go back on the street and then there are others that are drinking," Crook said. 

"They find the temptation just becomes too great, so if they didn't have to be exposed to it during the day, it would be a lot easier for them." 

Daytime hours would also mean the committee could hold key training sessions for the men, like employment and life skills, nutrition and trauma support. 

'A very good place to start' 

Rymer spends his nights at the shelter perfecting his new hobbies of listening to music, making art and writing poetry. 

He says shelters like this one play a crucial role in his hometown.  

"[Hay River] is a small town with a lot of problems, and this is a very good place to start."