This file photo from two years ago shows a man sleeping on a Prince Albert sidewalk as winter closes in. The situation has worsened by a 24 hour shelter is making a difference. (Nigel Maxell/paNOW)

By Susan McNeil

Shelter from the cold

24-hour shelter in PA keeping people warm

Jan 12, 2024 | 5:00 PM

With nighttime temperatures dropping as low as -36°C the next few days, homeless people in Prince Albert have options for keeping warm.

CAO Donna Brooks of the YWCA said the Stepping Stones Shelter is being well-used but four or five people nightly are being turned away.

“The turn-aways haven’t been too bad, there’s only been four or five a night and we’ve been able to find them places at detox and our other locations, so that’s been going good,” she said.

People are deciding to stay put though, rather than walking around.

“We’re really grateful to have a 24-hour shelter so people can stay put, because in other years we closed for a number of hours during the day,” Brooks said.

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One challenge has been finding rides for people as even the daytime temperatures have been quite chilly and it is too cold to stay outdoors for long periods of time.

When the clients have appointments, shelter staff don’t want them to walk so they have been paying taxi fares or finding other ways of getting them where they need to go.

Having 45 people in the Exhibition Centre, the temporary location of the shelter, means the floor is packed and there is no room for more people, which is why more people cannot be allowed in.

One woman who called paNOW Friday morning, said she took a couple to the shelter that had slept outside and there was no room for them, so she took them to the hospital, which will allow the public to stay in the waiting room when its cold.

The cold temperatures are being noticed by other service industries, such as Parkland Ambulance which has responded more calls of people needing help.

That comes in multiple forms, with calls to help homeless people in the cold or people who have homes, but are having to choose which bills to pay.

“Whether I put food on the table, heat my house or renew my prescriptions, all of those challenges for a few folks, we’re starting to see them not doing so well,” said Lyle Karasiuk of Parkland Ambulance.

He is hoping the public can keep an eye out for warning signs of people in danger, such as being in a bus shelter when the buses don’t run, or people look distressed to stop and see if the person needs help, which can be as simple as calling 911.

“We’ve got mechanism on the health side to get these people warm and safe so we can do that and there’s lots of resources for them. We don’t want any tragedies in our community,” he said.

The YWCA has enacted their Cold Weather Response which means as many beds and locations as possible are being used as warming spots.

Brooks explained that shelter staff will also alert emergency services if someone leaves the shelter during extreme cold so that EMS staff know to keep an eye out for those people.

The Salvation Army, which serves a hot lunch between 11 and noon, is also allowing people to come in to warm up and the PAGC has a van that will be driven around to allow people to warm up inside. The Friendship Centre close to Leons Furniture is also a warming location.

This map shows the current warming locations in Prince Albert.

“The back up plans are working,” said Brooks.

Warming services are not meant to only be for homeless people. A lot of people with no vehicles that either walk or find other means of getting around should also know where they are so they can use them if needed.

Brooks re-iterated Karasiuk’s statements that people who are on the margins but have homes are struggling more than ever and may also benefit from one of many meals being offered around the community.

When asked, the Sask. Health Authority said that its facilities are for any patients needing acute or emergent health care.

“While the SHA does not prevent non-patients from entering department or clinical waiting areas, these departments, particularly the Emergency Departments (EDs), are for patients requiring medical assistance. The SHA continues to collaborate with community partners in Prince Albert to assist those requiring a warm shelter during extremely cold temperatures like the ones we are currently experiencing.”

The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN), issued a callout late Friday afternoon asking businesses and organizations to allow people to warm up inside.

“We are asking businesses and organizations to open your hearts and share your spaces with those who may otherwise not survive the freezing cold,” said Chief Bobby Cameron om a written statement.

The FSIN said it does not want a repeat of a recent incident in Regina where a man died after laying on the cold street for seven hours with no one stopping to help him.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com