'Nowhere to go': Saskatoon community groups rise to offer warm shelter as temperatures plummet

As Saskatoon buckles down for winter, the staff at Prairie Harm Reduction gears up for the influx of people through their doors.

“There's literally nothing out there right now. This is what people got. And right now, there's a lot of people out there with nowhere to go” Kim Randall, the director of community support with Prairie Harm Reduction told CTV News.

As organizations that serve the homeless wait for the city to release its annual cold weather strategy, Prairie Harm reduction has opted to stay open 24/7 for the next week to fill in the gaps.

The capacity at its site on 20th Street is only 35. They’ve been reaching it each night, and they expect to exceed it, as many of those who were in tents and encampments are now unable to cope with the wet, heavy snow as temperatures dip further.

“We’re shuffling them through. People are pretty understanding. They know that everybody needs to warm up. So, we have somebody, some there have been in there for an hour. They'll switch out with somebody else,” she said.

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At the Salvation Army, they’re optimistic a plan is coming soon — the cold weather strategy is on the new city council’s agenda for Nov. 27, with details coming Wednesday.

Gordon Taylor, the executive director at Salvation Army Crossroads, says it will be a positive step for those facing homelessness in our city.

“I am encouraged with the level of cooperation among all the different agencies and levels of government to try and address this problem,” said Taylor.

“So we, I think, there is a good plan for winter.”

The city has been in emergency mode since Nov. 1 due to the high number of people without shelter who are living on the streets.

Numbers released last month, projected the number of homeless people to climb over 1,000 by the end of this year. That’s up considerably from a year ago, when it was only 221.

For now, The Salvation Army and Prairie Harm Reduction will be on the front lines, trying to keep as many people safe and warm as the temperature drops.