Saskatoon groups scramble to protect vulnerable from extreme cold
When the weather dips below -30 C, you do everything you can to keep people safe, says Central Urban Métis Federation Inc. (CUMFI) President Shirley Isbister.
CUMFI provides a warmup space at its office at 315 Avenue M South from 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
“We have people come in and they warm up and some people have a little nap, we serve hot chocolate and a snack and do our best to make people feel comfortable.”
When that closes, they transport people to shelters.
“I got a report on the weekend that all the inns were full, but the Ministry of Social Services made available more hotel rooms, so in this cold weather you just got to do whatever you can to ensure that people have a warm place to stay.”
A mass of extreme cold has settled over Saskatoon, with the polar vortex causing temperatures to dip below minus -30 C.
“It's a big mass of really cold air that sits around the North Pole, but it's fluid so it moves according to what the jet stream does,” said Terri Lang with Environment & Climate Change Canada.
“When the jet stream dips, we'll get a big blast of this cold air, truly dense and heavy.”
According to the Saskatchewan Coroners Service, 14 people died of hypothermia or exposure in the province from September 1, 2021 to August 31, 2022.
The City of Saskatoon has activated its cold weather strategy to offer a warm place to people with nowhere else to go.
“There's the outreach task forces which are mobile vehicles that locate people to support and help them find shelter,” said Saskatoon Fire Chief Morgan Hackl.
CUMFI’s mobile housing and community resource centre is stationed at the Giant Tiger on 22nd street on Mondays and Tuesdays, at the City Centre Church on Wednesdays, and Freshco on 33rd street on Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
“There's the shelters themselves, the three shelters in the community. There's also warm up locations that are activated during the cold weather strategy, and then there's the overall advisory group, so we have a well coordinated plan in place.”
The only 24-hour shelter in Saskatoon will be at Prairie Harm Reduction opening later in December.
Hackl says there are homeless people living in 52 of the 65 communities in Saskatoon.
“We started a program where we proactively went out and formed relationships with those that are living rough in our community, those that are in makeshift shelters, those that are unhoused,” he said.
“From that we've had a number of successes where those people have accepted support and have moved into housing.”
Hackl says the boarded up houses are also a place where homeless people look for an opportunity to take shelter and warm up.
“The Saskatoon Fire Department has a proactive program called the demolition and property remediation process, which involves vacant and boarded properties,” he said.
“This program has seen a large decrease in the number of boarded properties in our community. It's also seen a decrease in the number of fires in boarded properties in our community.”
Lang says temperatures in Saskatoon will warm up on Wednesday, but not before temperatures go down to -37 C, feeling like -50 C with the wind chill.
“Dress appropriately, dress in layers,” she said.
“It's the air between your clothes that actually keeps you warm, and make sure all your extremities are covered, and again, just limit that time outdoors.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.