Shelters ready for increase in demand as frigid weather set to arrive by weekend

Homeless shelters in Calgary are preparing for an increased need for their services with temperatures in the region forecast to plunge over the coming days.

Kathy Christiansen, executive director of the Calgary Alpha House Society, said the agency has extra mats in case it needs to accommodate more people at its shelter. The organization’s outreach team will also be keeping an eye out for anyone needing assistance in the extreme conditions.

“We’ve been fortunate not to have such a harsh winter in terms of weather,” Christiansen said.

“I think a big part of caring for people when the weather’s cold is we have the outreach team. Our DOAP (Downtown Outreach Addiction Program) team will be making sure that people aren’t outside, and looking in particular for people that need some help in the weather and transporting them to either Alpha House or other locations where they would be safer.”

Kevin Webb, manager of emergency shelter at the Calgary Dropin and Rehab Centre, said with any cold spell, the facility sees an increase in its numbers.

Both agencies say during cold snaps, donations of warm outerwear are in high demand, including toques, jackets, scarves, snow pants and boots.

Environment Canada meteorologist Kyle Fougere said Calgarians are in for “a pretty drastic change” from the conditions seen so far this winter.

Temperatures are expected to drop throughout Friday and the weekend. The forecast high for Saturday is -18 C, followed by -23 C for Sunday and -25 C on Monday.

“For most of next week it’s going to be below-average temperatures,” Fougere said. “It warms up a bit on Wednesday but it looks like that might be temporary. I think people should just plan for it to be below-average temperatures for the first week of February.”

Weather Network meteorologist Doug Gillham said the coldest temperature Calgarians have experienced so far this winter is -18.6 C, which was in December.

“You’ll be having high temperatures colder than that, so it’s going to to be a shock to the system,” he said. “It’s not anything dramatic by Alberta standards, it’s just such a contrast to the dominant weather pattern you’ve had so far.”

Kara Layher, manager of communications at Inn From the Cold, said that without warm clothing, the forecast temperatures are dangerous. The agency’s shelter serves what it refers to as the invisible homeless — families who might be staying with a friend or at a hotel rather than on the streets. When they run out of options, the families often end up at Inn From the Cold, Layher said.

“Weather puts a lot of pressure on families and parents in particular, because it becomes unsafe to be outside,” she said.

She added the new year is a challenging time for all non-profit organizations, including Inn From the Cold, which is seeing “an immense drop in donations” after the holiday season.

While the agency received a positive response to an emergency call for warm clothing in December, she said the shelter is always in need of winter boots for both adults and children.

Christiansen said if Calgarians see anyone outside who might need help during the cold weather, they can alert the DOAP team. The outreach service can be reached at 403-998-7388.

Weather puts a lot of pressure on families and parents in particular, because it becomes unsafe to be outside.