The Oasis Centre in Grande Prairie has been operating at full capacity during the recent cold snap (Photo: Liam Verster / EverythingGP staff)

By Liam Verster

Extreme cold's impact

Cold snap pushes Grande Prairie shelters to capacity, highlights need for housing options

Feb 11, 2021 | 2:50 PM

With the mercury steady below the -30 mark this week in Grande Prairie, the recent cold snap has pushed a lot of homeless shelters and supports to their maximum capacity, which some say highlights the need for more supportive living and interim housing.

During the past few weeks, as the cold weather gripped Grande Prairie and the Peace Region, there has been an increased demand for homeless supports.

Kathy Lambert, the Executive Director of Rotary House, says the shelter has been operating at capacity, which is already limited due to the COVID-19 restrictions.

“We have different areas in different parts of the building,” says Lambert. “We have 24 mats at the back; eight female mats, those are full. We have 35 male cots and eight women’s cots, and those are all full.”

Rotary House’s capacity has been reduced a bit by the COVID restrictions, and because they are a shelter serving the homeless population, they only have to ensure there is a two-metre distance between people.

Oasis Shelter, which only operates between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., has also been operating near capacity, with an average of 18 people spending the night.

Meanwhile, the St. Lawrence Centre, which runs daytime programs and services, has also been very busy. Jared Gossen, the Project Lead at the St. Lawrence Centre, says the cold weather is bringing some challenges.

“One of the biggest challenges for us is at any given time there may be a handful of people who are not allowed in different facilities because of behavioural issues, violence and stuff like that,” says Gossen.

“So we’re still trying to do what we can to allow barred people to come in and warm up temporarily, and that’s been a really difficult component of this cold snap and how long it’s gone on for.”

The St. Lawrence Centre is also running at reduced capacity, and following other COVID-19 health guidelines. Gossen says some of the rules were met with resistance at first, such as requiring masks indoors, but he says even the most opposed at the start of the pandemic have changed their ways to ensure the Centre is a safe space for everyone.

However, while all these sites are doing their part to keep people safe during this time, it also highlights the need for more supportive and interim housing in the City.

Gossen says the only way to get out of the cycle of having to react to the winter and pushing support capacities to the limits is by investing in supportive housing.

“[Supportive housing] is the only way that we’re really going to turn the tide of homelessness in Grande Prairie,” said Gossen. “I know the City of Grande of Grande Prairie has made that a priority and there is a couple of projects on the go.

“As a person that’s worked downtown for many, many years now, this is one of the few hopeful winters I’ve been able to look towards spring and see that we actually have a chance of making some real change and supporting people who need supportive housing. So I’m pretty excited that we’re going to have fewer people needing our service hopefully during the next cold snap.”

Stephen Laing, the Executive Director and Pastor for Oasis Fellowship, which runs the Oasis Shelter, echoes the sentiment that there needs to be more supportive housing. He points to Westpoint motel as a good possible place to house those in need.

Laing adds there may be some push back from the public who live near possible supportive housing locations, but he says the homeless are still people, and need to be treated with compassion.

“From our perspective as a church, we just go at it like ‘everybody is of equal value, life is precious regardless’ and you’ve got to look at it that way and look at them with eyes of care and concern and say ‘listen, we’re all equal here, no one’s better than any other,. There’s been bad choices, there’s been trauma,'” says Laing.

He says he hears stories all the time from people who use the shelter, which he usually passes along to those who critize the homeless without knowing their history, and says if he or anyone else were to go through some of the things these people had, they may not be better off.

Laing also says people should be compassionate and respectful of everyone regardless of their situation year-round, and not just when the cold weather threatens their health and well-being.

Along with providing shelter and promoting more supportive housing options, the shelters are also accepting donations of warm winter gear, especially gloves, toques and hand warmers, which will go directly to those in need.