‘I’ve never seen it this bad’: Saskatchewan warming centres brace for high demand

Warming centres in Saskatchewan are bracing for high demand as temperatures begin to plunge across the province, leaving those most vulnerable in need of reprieve from the cold.

On Monday, temperatures reached below -20 C in some areas, and for Tuesday evening, these temperatures are forecast to drop even more — with the wind chill expected to make it feel as low as -40.

Environment Canada is warning that frostbite is a risk during these cold temperatures.

Last week, Saskatoon released its Point-in-Time (PiT) count for this year, which measures the number of those facing homelessness on a single day. This year, the City of Saskatoon is reporting a record homeless count of 1,931 — continuing the rising trend of homelessness in the city.

Though Regina has not released its PiT count for this year, the capital city has also seen an upward trend in those facing homelessness over the last decade.

Both Saskatoon and Regina have a number of groups offering warming spaces as the deep freeze starts to set in — some of which are noticing a change in their demand.

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“I’ve been doing this job for 32 years and I’ve never seen it this bad,” said Don Meikle, executive director of youth drop-in centre EGADZ.

Meikle says the need to help more people means his organization has to work more hours and have more hands on deck than ever before.

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“It’s really hard to to plan for extreme cold because our weather’s changes so fast and all the time. But we used to be out in the van three days a week, we’re now out in the van seven days a week,” he said.

The City of Saskatoon is planning on opening a new warming centre on Avenue C later this month, the city’s planning and development department said in statement to Global News.

The building that previously housed a restaurant is currently undergoing interior renovations, such as adding washrooms, updating lighting and updating “some other basic building amenities,” they said, adding that some exterior items “relatively minor in nature” will also be repaired in the next few weeks.

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The maximum capacity for this new warming centre is 150, according to the city.

In the meantime, a temporary warming centre opened on 23rd Street following the conclusion of both interior and exterior renovations in early November and has a capacity of 100 people. This centre is run all hours of the day by Saskatoon Tribal Council.

This temporary space is located in the former Saskatoon Transportation Company bus terminal and saw an average of 80 women use it daily, according to the city.

Other community groups, such as Church in the Hood Ministries, are also continuing their efforts to lend a warm hand on the streets.

This organization is using a retrofitted school bus as a warming space, serving those who need to warm up or have a hot meal from 9 p.m. until the early hours of the morning.

“When you come on the bus, you know you’re welcome here. You sit down, we offer you a bowl of soup, some tea, water, winter clothing, jackets, hats, a whole bunch of stuff,” said Ralph Nicotine, founder of Church in the Hood Ministries.

The red warming school bus is set to be out on the streets of Saskatoon starting next week following minor repairs.