Amid bitter windchills, local outreach calls for more spaces for homeless people

“People were literally freezing and getting frostbitten, and they wouldn’t let anyone in early, so we had bunch of people out here suffering.”

“The church has been a great help. They bring blankets and food, but just a bigger shelter, a bigger community where people can come in and warm up and not have to be stuck outside till a certain designated time.”

Nova was not alone that evening as over a dozen people showed up, each sharing their stories of homelessness and how they wished for a better solution during the frigid nights.

One man was Rodney Ballantyne who has spent several years on the street. Despite the hard work he said he’s been putting in over the years, it’s still hard for him to find a home of his own.

When he arrived in front of the shelter, he could barely move his fingers because of the bitter windchill.

Ballantyne said aside from these setbacks, he remains hopeful that something will change.

Cathy Lacey with the street ministry told paNOW that she had written to several provincial politicians and even invited Mayor Greg Dionne to the shelter that night.

Before setting up Monday night, she recalled calling for an ambulance recently to help a man concerned about frostbite on his feet while he was waiting for the shelter to open. She said she called the shelter but did not receive a reply.

She added she does not leave her dogs outside for two to three hours in the cold, which is roughly the amount of time she said some people had been waiting outside the shelter.

Roberta Krider is the founder of Reaching Out Street Ministry and said something needs to be done.

“People are out here for three or four hours in minus 30, 40 when we have buildings. Or how about a bus? A city bus or a school bus. Just out of the cold. It’s unbearable and a lot of them don’t have the proper dress.”

“This is happening in Prince Albert. We don’t have the means to meet the needs of the people on the street. There’s just nothing. This is just temporary. We need housing, we need supportive housing, we need 24-hour shelters. What I do is a bandaid. We feed people on Sunday and minister to them. They still go off and they’re still homeless.”

Krider added while the shelter is a good place for the homeless to go, it is only for overnight purposes, as it opens from about 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. She said that due to COVID, some local charities can’t provide all their services, like meals, indoors.

This past weekend, the Stepping Stones Shelter said they had to turn away as many as 34 people as all their beds were being used.

About 15 of those situations happened on Friday, followed by three on Saturday, and 16 on Sunday.

There is some good news for those looking to escape the cold this week. As of Wednesday, the Prince Albert Grand Council Urban Services will open its Day Warming Shelter from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The PAGC also announced the shelter will be renamed the Moose Lodge, after the Late Mr. James “Moose” Sewap and Cona’s Kitchen after the Late Mr. Cona Custer.

The PAGC said it is also for donations of winter gear, including boots, blankets, mitts, and clothing.

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derek.craddock@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @PA_Craddock

by Derek Craddock

Amid bitter windchills, local outreach calls for more spaces for homeless people

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