COVID, cold weather make for a tough winter for Regina’s homeless

After a milder-than-average start to the year, frigid temperatures have finally hit Saskatchewan, and that’s making life harder for homeless people.

Over the weekend, Regina and Saskatoon saw wind chills at or below -40 C — levels that can freeze skin in five to 10 minutes.

Nick Faye, the development co-ordinator with Carmichael Outreach in Regina, said the situation is made even more challenging thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The organization runs various programs for people in need, including an indoor facility for handing out food and a warmup station.

However, Faye said COVID has changed the way things are run quite significantly.

The usual measures like masks, distancing and checking temperatures are all in place, but capacity limits mean there’s less space. At the same time, he recognizes the importance of stopping the spread of the virus.

“(Shelter is) very needed … We absolutely should be providing this service, but on the other hand, it is a little bit scary. (There are) more people (and) more contacts. We’ve been trying our best to keep contacts low so we can continue to offer the services that we do. We’re trying to balance both,” he explained.

The warmup shelter would usually have many more people inside, but only four can use it at one time.

“Normally, before COVID, we would operate as a community hub where people could come get coffee and socialize,” he said.

The lunch line at Carmichael Outreach is another service that has taken a hit from COVID.

“We don’t have people inside our sitting area while we’re giving out lunch, but there is a stream of people … They can come in for a few minutes and wait in our socially distanced line,” he explained.

Faye acknowledged these are tough times for many people, but he’s still asking people to help out when they can.

“It’s just really hard out there,” he said. “A lot of people are struggling … Just keep these people in (your) mind.”