City shelters, outreach workers shift into high gear during bitter storm

Homeless shelters and outreach spaces across Winnipeg put in a herculean effort overnight and throughout the day Thursday, as the first winter storm of the year, armed with winds gusting to 90 km/h, lashed the southern part of the province.

At Main Street Project, which operates the city’s only 24-7 outreach vans, workers picked up overtime hours and extra shifts to ensure programs were fully staffed when the storm prevented some employees and volunteers from getting to the facility.

“With this type of weather, big blizzards, heavy snowfall and really heavy winds are really dangerous for the community we serve, particularly those staying outside in spaces like encampments, bus shelters or any spaces like that,” said Cindy Titus, MSP’s interim director of development.

MSP’s two around-the-clock outreach vans focused on those outdoor spaces.

During periods of extreme weather, more than 40 organizations — including outreach teams, shelters and public services — follow winter protocols developed by End Homelessness Winnipeg’s extreme weather response committee.

The response has two goals: alerting people experiencing homelessness and those who support them when winter weather hazards are expected or present, and triggering agency actions to reduce related risks.

MSP also faced added pressures Thursday due to its weekly food bank, which regularly serves more than 160 families.

“Many don’t have cars or easy ways to get down here,” Titus said, adding that this week’s groceries include turkeys for Christmas.

Titus said MSP office staff — including members of the finance team and executive director Jamil Mahmood — stepped in to ensure food deliveries continued.

At the Salvation Army’s Centre of Hope at 180 Henry Ave., it was full steam ahead as staff prepared to feed 1,600 people over four annual Christmas dinner meal sittings.

“Preparations for this meal have been ongoing for months and months and months,” said Kristin Marand, the organization’s communications manager for the Prairies and northern territories division. “Luckily, we’re ready to open our doors and welcome people in from the cold.”

Staff whipped up 160 kilograms of homemade stuffing, 190 litres of turkey gravy, 400 kilograms of mixed vegetables, 180 kilograms of mashed potatoes, 1,600 portions of dessert and more than 80 turkeys to make the meal.

“While there have been challenges with cancellations, we’re confident that we have such a great group of volunteers,” Marand said.

More meals were also prepared for the Salvation Army’s SonRise Family Shelter, which offers temporary housing for families experiencing homelessness.

Meanwhile, an all-hands-on-deck approach was also underway overnight and throughout the day Thursday at Siloam Mission.

“We really grateful to our staff to serve breakfast,” said Julianne Aitkens, Siloam’s interim CEO. “We rely so heavily on volunteers, and… some, based on the roads, were unable to get in.”

Approximately 220 people accessed Siloam’s overnight shelter. Aitkens said while the number was high, it was not the largest turnout since winter weather arrived, noting that shelter usage is not always directly tied to weather conditions.

During milder temperatures, people often come and go throughout the night. On nights like Thursday, however, more people tend to stay in place for longer periods.

Staff faced additional challenges, including helping people who struggle with mobility.

“So we have staff in the parking lot trying to support people who are walking with canes, for example, when the sidewalks aren’t plowed yet,” Aitkens said.

Severe weather also strains donation supplies, particularly cold-weather essentials such as mitts, hand warmers, warm socks, tuques, winter jackets and boots.

“And what we will find, too, is one person will come in but they might need to get stuff for people who aren’t there,” Aitkens said. “We go through things faster in this weather, because people layer up.”

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Similar to Main Street Project, Aitkens highlighted the ongoing collaboration between shelters and outreach organizations during extreme weather to help keep people safe.

With temperatures expected to reach the -40 C mark with the windchill Thursday night and into Friday, vulnerable populations will be at risk, Environment Canada meteorologist Terri Lang warned.

“We’re getting close to those extreme values, so for the vulnerable population, it’s going to be a cold night,” she said. “If you don’t have to go outside, it’s probably one of those nights that you shouldn’t, because it’s going to be so cold.”

— With files from Nicole Buffie

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca

Scott Billeck
Reporter

Scott Billeck is a general assignment reporter for the Free Press. A Creative Communications graduate from Red River College, Scott has more than a decade’s worth of experience covering hockey, football and global pandemics. He joined the Free Press in 2024.  Read more about Scott.

Every piece of reporting Scott produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.