Winnipeg organizations work to help homeless survive cold snap amid COVID-19 challenges

As temperatures plummet in Manitoba, agencies who help homeless people in Winnipeg are trying to help them escape the cold while grappling with challenges brought on by the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.

Environment Canada data shows Winnipeg hit 35 C Wednesday morning. It's the first time it's been this cold in December in years, and the forecast shows the freezing temperatures are going to stick around for a few days.

At St. Boniface Street Links, executive director Marion Willis says her already small team is down some members due to COVID-19. Her organization provides services for people experiencing homelessness on the east side of the Red River.

She said her staff who are still out doing patrols are finding that some of the houseless people they come across don't want to go to a shelter even if there is space, because they either don't feel safe there or don't want to leave their stuff behind.

"Unfortunately, those that tend to be homeless over here on this side of the river tend to avoid Main Street and the downtown area, believing that it's safer here, but it is not safer here when it's this cold," she said.

"You can succumb easily to hypothermia and suffer terrible frostbite, so it is really important that we get people inside."

Willis estimated that between 20 to 30 people east of the Red River who are chronically homeless would likely spend the night in the cold Wednesday.

She said she's instructed her staff to keep checking on these people, who often take shelter in bus shacks or ATM vestibules, offering them warm coffee or warm coats.

"That's really all we can do. I mean, we can call, you know, for wellness checks and so on, but I mean, if the person says he's fine and he really doesn't want to go, there's nothing that we can do to make a person go. So it's tough," she said.

At Siloam Mission, communications manager Luke Thiessen says their drop-in centre and overnight shelter has been busy in recent days as people who usually choose to brave the elements come in to warm up.

"It's just really tough when the temperatures get that low," he said.

"So our numbers, our numbers have gone up, and I think that compounded with the impact of social distancing and extra measures with COVID restrictions, it's a tricky recipe."

COVID challenges

Manitoba's COVID-19 daily count shattered the province's previous record Wednesday when it reported 947 cases.

Siloam Mission has put different safety measures into place since the beginning of the pandemic, such as installingplexiglass barriers between shelter beds, he said. But the organization also experienced an outbreak of COVID-19 amongst its staff and some of its guests at the end of November, which Thiessen said prepared them for the current rise in cases in the province.

He said Siloam is still offering the same services it always has, but with reduced capacity in some areas such as its drop in centre and with extra safety measures such as enhanced PPE.

"Our shelter is pretty close to full most nights from what I've seen, so we're still able to deliver those things, but it's at slightly reduced capacity and with a lot more effort."

He said he worries about how the Omicron variant will impact people experiencing homelessness, because they're exposed to more people on a day-to-day basis.

"Many, many people who are experiencing homelessness or are precariously housed might ordinarily spend some of their time in public places like libraries or even on the bus and things like that, so a more communicable version of COVID is concerning on quite a few fronts."