Salvation Army adds dozens of new beds to help newcomers
The Salvation Army has added 80 new beds to help the many newcomers seeking asylum in Winnipeg.
The organization made the announcement on Wednesday, saying that the number of refugees coming to the city since January 2023 has increased by more than 400 per cent.
By adding these new beds, the Salvation Army is hoping to relieve some pressure from its Centre of Hope, which shelters more than 400 people on an average night.
“We were averaging over 120 refugees a day as a static number,” said Mark Stewart, executive director of the Centre of Hope.
“So that’s men, women, non-binary, as well as children…what we wanted to do is just open up more beds in an emergency shelter setting just to provide more space for people that are coming in.”
The Salvation Army’s Centre of Hope is staffed 24 hours a day and offers access to meals, resources, caseworkers, washrooms and showers. Newcomers can go to the intake centre, located at 180 Henry Ave., where they are able to access refugee claimant and newcomer services, including housing and employment support, as well as residency assistance.
"At the end of the day, anybody’s who is coming into the community, we just want to make sure they’re safe,” Stewart said.
“This is a safe space, away from regular emergency shelter, where they can be together in a similar situation.”
According to numbers from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, 185 asylum seekers were processed in Manitoba in January 2024. In January 2023, that number was 35.
- With files from CTV’s Joseph Bernacki.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Loblaw agrees to sign grocery code of conduct after months of negotiations
Loblaw Cos. Ltd. said Thursday it's ready to sign on to the grocery code of conduct, paving the way for an agreement that's been years in the making.
Veteran TSN sportscaster Darren Dutchyshen has died
Veteran TSN broadcaster Darren 'Dutch' Dutchyshen, one of Canada’s best-known sports journalists, has died. He was 57. His family says 'he passed as he was surrounded by his closest loved ones.'
Pierre Poilievre presses Justin Trudeau for summer pause on carbon and fuel taxes
To give Canadians a break on their summer road trips, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to suspend all gas and diesel taxes from Victoria Day to Labour Day.
Kidnapped by her father and kept in a crawl space: Court documents reveal Montreal horror story
A Montreal father who kidnapped his daughter who has autism and lied to police when they asked where she was should serve three years in prison, a Crown prosecutor said.
Ontario's so-called 'Crypto King' soliciting investments as recently as February: police
Police are alleging that Ontario’s so-called ‘Crypto King’ Aiden Pleterski was soliciting investments as recently as February – almost two years after he was petitioned into bankruptcy for allegedly running a Ponzi scheme worth more than $40 million.
Noticed a new payment? Some Canadians get first carbon rebate
Many Canadians found a message from the Canada Revenue Agency this week as they received their first direct deposit for the Canada Carbon Rebate.
Teen died from eating a spicy chip as part of social media challenge, autopsy report concludes
A medical examiner says a Massachusetts teen who participated in a spicy tortilla chip challenge died from ingesting a substance 'with a high capsaicin concentration.'
Protecting your car from the growing risk of keyless vehicle thefts
Auto technology has evolved and many newer cars use wireless key fobs and push-button starters instead of traditional metal keys. But that technology also makes things easier for thieves.
WATCH Scientists get a surprising glimpse at a rare deep-sea squid
Scientists from the University of Western Australia and Kelpsie Geociences in the U.K. say they were surprised to discover an underwater camera caught video of a rare deep-sea squid.