New Winnipeg shelters pop up as temperatures tumble

Winter’s unwavering wrath can be particularly punishing for those experiencing homelessness.

After a mild start to winter, more typical Manitoban temperatures have arrived and with it, a number of options for folks to access a safe and warm place to stay.

Siloam Mission CEO Tessa Blaikie Whitecloud says this season is expected to be particularly difficult. There’s been a rise in homelessness in Winnipeg, she says, owing partly to the many new Canadians in our city with no permanent place to stay.

It’s one of the reasons the City of Winnipeg spent $265,000 last November to fund a new, expanded pop-up shelter at Siloam Mission and staffed by a coalition of organizations.

“We knew that there were more people than there were spaces this winter, and so we wanted to make sure that on nights when it’s extremely cold, that people had an opportunity to be somewhere safe inside, and it certainly feels extremely cold right now,” Blaikie Whitecloud said.

The pop-up shelter is opened based on three factors; the overnight temperature feels like -10 C or colder; all emergency shelters are consistently full; and a minimum of four staff are present.

She notes they anticipated seeing numbers in the 50s, but they’re already seeing upwards of a hundred people.

Across the river, St. Boniface Street Links' pop-up warming centre and 24/7 safe space completed its first night Monday in the former St. Vital Municipal Building.

The city offered that organization a no-charge lease and operating funds to run the shelter.

Founder Marion Willis says they were full on night one.

“I think everybody who attended was extremely grateful that we now have the ability to support people over here east of the Red. It was very, very quiet here,” Willis said.

She says the 24/7 drop-in model will modernize Winnipeg’s shelter system, creating familiarity with its users while helping them access wraparound services like income support and housing.

The St. Mary’s Road location will also serve a segment of Winnipeggers who don’t feel comfortable accessing downtown shelters.

“When you take smaller programs like this and they become well located in neighbourhoods where there are populations of people living homeless, I think it takes the strain off the inner-city. I think it's part of what helps make our downtown safer.”

Additionally, the city is offering its leisure centres and libraries as places for residents to warm up during operating hours.

If you spot someone on the street who may need help or is injured due to extreme cold, the city recommends calling 911 immediately. Callers are recommended to stay with the person until help arrives.

Signs of hypothermia include confusion, dizziness, exhaustion and severe shivering.

A full list of services and supports for unsheltered folks can be found on End Homelessness Winnipeg's website.