Regina non-profit fills service gaps during cold snap

Through the extreme cold in Regina, The Hawk Principle has been trying to fill the gap and keep people warm who have nowhere else to go.

Madi Massier, co-director and social co-ordinator for the non-profit, said the shelter likely averaged between 30 and 40 people at one time in its opening hours.

“It’s literally just people hopping from space to space, which is not something we want to see, we want there to be a permanent solution instead of these bandaid, stop-gap shelter measures,” she explained.

She said they’ve seen many people come through with frostbitten legs and blistered hands and feet, saying it was likely even overwhelming for health-care staff to deal with.

But just because the extreme cold broke on Thursday, doesn’t mean the group’s work is no longer needed.

Massier said the idea is to fill the gaps where other services don’t reach.

“I think a lot of people expect that there’s this overall net that catches people, and it’s really non-existent. So, we’re just trying to cover those service gaps, especially for those who really need it the most,” she said.

The warming space is open between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., and 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. when other shelters are often closed. It also works with other groups to feed the community.

The Hawk Principle was formed a little over a year ago to address these gaps people were seeing, and to offer people more community and connection.

“To have that connection with people and just learning people’s story and understanding a little bit more of where they’re coming from and how they need help and where the system is failing them,” Massier said.

It has been working out of several different spaces, including the former Trinity Lutheran Church on Ottawa St., which is where the warming space has been held.

Massier said the church has been bought, but they’re working with the new owner to see if they’d be able to continue using the space.

The Hawk Principle had been trying to raise money to buy the church itself, but that didn’t end up happening. Now it’s trying to raise money to buy another space.

“That’s been kind of the struggle for us. A lot of our groups are in between places or using different kitchens, which is great and awesome, but it would be nice to have one centralized location where we can focus on our goals of ending houselessness and getting people more food security,” she said.

It’s had some donations to that end already and is holding fundraisers like the event planned for Friday night at the former church.

Regina warming bus

During the extreme cold this week, the City of Regina brought back its warming bus service. It ran a route between Carmichael Outreach and its warming space and Awasiw which also has warming space.

The city said the bus was activated due to the critically low temperatures, and it also stopped at other non-profits and shelters so people could move between them safely.

“The City recognizes that people may need to relocate for various reasons, and the warming bus provides an additional layer of protection during extreme cold,” read a statement from the City of Regina.

The city said the bus saw consistent use this week, with 25 people using it on Monday night, about 35 on Tuesday night and 24 people on Wednesday night.

The cost of running the bus isn’t yet available, but to run the bus for 10 days in January 2024, it cost about $40,000.