Sask. shelters spring into action as cold weather hits
Prairie Harm Reduction has opened its doors 24 hours a day to keep people off the streets
The snow has piled up and while temperatures continue to drop in Saskatchewan, non-profit organisations are trying to find solutions for people needing a place to stay warm.
Prairie Harm Reduction in Saskatoon began operating 24 hours a day Tuesday and will continue to do so for the next week.
"People have nowhere to go," Kim Randall, the director of support services for Prairie Harm Reduction said.
"We'll be open for the next little bit 24 hours but still that's not a long-term solution. Right now, this is what we have."
The facility is usually in operation from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST. Randall said that although they would love to always be open 24 hours a day, the organisation doesn't have the funding or resources to support that.
She said it's disappointing to continue seeing a lack of resources for people facing homelessness.
"Everybody knew the snow was coming, everybody knows how cold it gets," said Randall. "It's really on the province and the city; they should have had a solution by now."
Prairie Harm Reduction is asking for donations of blankets, jackets, mittens, socks, toques and anything else to help people layer up and stay warm for when they find themselves outside of the shelter's warmth.
The City of Saskatoon announced locations for warming centres in the city Wednesday.
The Saskatoon Indian and Métis Friendship Centre opened its doors Tuesday night. The organisation is acting as an evening warm-up centre for anyone and an overnight centre specifically for women.
A similar overnight warm-up centre for men is set to open Dec. 9 at St. Mary's Parish on 20th Street, operated by the Salvation Army.
Goulden-McLeod said these centres are expected to welcome around 100 people every night.
"They're a short-term emergency measure," Pamela Goulden-McLeod, Saskatoon's director of emergency management said. "[There's a] need for those longer-term resources in place so we don't have to work every winter to come up with a new plan."
All nine public libraries in the city are also acting as warm-up centres this winter.
"People that don't have proper footwear, proper jackets, proper clothing are kind of in trouble right now," Chief Mark Arcand of the Saskatoon Tribal Council said.
Arcand expressed his gratitude for the warming shelters, but said more should be done.
"Right now, I think we're behind in the city of Saskatoon. I don't think we're moving fast enough to accommodate the need."
Carmichael Outreach in Regina has also extended hours at its warming centre, which runs from 7:15 p.m. to 6:45 a.m. CST, seven days a week.
"We still have quite a few encampments that are set up [in the city] and those are people that don't meet the requirements of what a shelter needs," Chrysta Garner, the development co-ordinator for Carmichael Outreach said.
"There's a lot of barriers getting accepted into a shelter."
Unlike a shelter, Carmichael's warming centre is a walk-in facility that is open to anyone who needs it, no questions asked. Garner said the warming centre is a drug and alcohol free space, but that anyone can access the facility when needed and don't have to sign-up.
The space has the capacity to fit 80 people per night, but Garner said they see about 100 people per night as people come and go from the space as needed.
This is Carmichael's second year operating their overnight warming shelter. They said last year was a success but a lot of hard work for staff and volunteers, as the space is operating at almost 12-hour nights.
Carmichael Outreach is also seeking donations for warm clothing or food during this time.
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With files from Jeremy Warren and Rita St Michel