Regina's overnight warming bus shuts its doors, other warming place now open at night

People in Regina in need of a safe place to warm up overnight have one fewer option, as the city's temporary warming bus shut down its service on Monday morning, less than a month after it started operating.

Meanwhile, another place is now offering overnight services. On Thursday, All Nations Hope Network (ANHN) extendedthe hours of Awasis the Warming Place,a drop-in-centre in Regina's North Central neighbourhood, to include overnight access from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. CST.

Despite the additional services offered by Awasis, closing the city's warming bus was not a good idea, according to Margaret Kisikaw Piyesis, finance and research director at ANHN.

"The bus is still needed, I would say, 100 per cent it is needed," she said.

"I think the city bus should still run, and they should put some peers on there at night to help navigate the people, to help them talk through what they're experiencing."

The city first announced its overnight warming bus in mid-November as an "urgently needed alternative shelter" for people experiencing homelessness in Regina.

The bus was operating seven nights a week on the 1600 block of 11th Avenue, welcoming people from 8:15 p.m. to 7:45 a.m. CST, according to a news release from Nov. 15.

A bus operator and security person were on the bus each night, the city said.

When asked by CBC on Nov. 17 if the bus was only available while the Grey Cup took place in Regina, a spokesperson with the city said the need for it would be reviewed regularly and that was no firm end date for the service at the time.

City shuts down warming bus, referring to services of local organization

The city announced the end of the warming bus service in a news release on Friday.

"The temporary warming bus service was provided as an urgent response to a critical shortage of overnight warming spaces as temperatures fell sharply in mid-November," the release said.

"Recently, a local community-based organization received a federal government grant that will enable them to offer overnight warming shelter services for those in need. This organization is now best equipped to provide supports clients require in the immediate and longer term."

On average, between 15 and 25 people were on board the warming bus at any given hour of operation, according to an email from the city on Tuesday.

When asked if the bus was not being used enough, the city said its decision to end the service was not related to usage.

Kisikaw Piyesis, however, said the bus is still important for people and should keep going.

All Nations Hope Network received funding through the federal Reaching Home program to expand Awasiw's opening hours starting Dec. 1 to offer people in need a safe place seven nights a week until March 31, according to a news release from Regina's Namerind Housing Corporation.

In June, Awasiw had to shut down its 24-hour service due to a lack of funding, after first opening at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Kisikaw Piyesis.

In previous years, Awasiwwould see up to 900 people in a 24-hour period coming in for services such as access to shelter, food and harm reduction supplies, said Kisikaw Piyesis.

Since opening Awasiw overnight on Dec. 1, the warming place has had 415 people come through its doors from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. CST, according to the All Nations Hope Network.

"The capacity is however many people will fit into our building," said Kisikaw Piyesis.

"We also work with other agencies through the night:the Regina city police, some of the addictions services that are available through the night, which is not a lot."

Besides a safe place to warm up during the night, visitors can also access telephones, washrooms,warm drinksand overdose kits.

During the day, people can come to Awasiw for HIV and hepatitis C testing, traditional Indigenous medicines and healing programs, referrals to other community services, or to get a COVID-19 shot, according to Kisikaw Piyesis.

However, the warming place does not have beds because it is not a big enough facility, she said.

Kisikaw Piyesiswants all levels of government to take a closer look at potential solutions to problems such as homelessness or Saskatchewan's high HIV rate.

"Awasiw is just one solution in the city of Regina," she said.

"If we talk about one vision many paths, Awasiw is just one of the paths, and the city bus is another path. And there's other organizations in the city that have other paths that they're following to that will serve the people that are most desperate."

When asked if the Awasiw's overnight services will be enough to help people in Regina during the cold months, the city said it remains committed to being a collaborative partner.

"We're confident that community-based organizations will continue to deliver the supports our most vulnerable residents need," said the city in itsemail.

"Our shared goal is to provide safe, warm, long-term shelter for everyone in winter."

People in need of shelter or support can call the Mobile Crisis Helpline 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 306-757-0127.