'I never thought I'd be living under a bridge': Calgarians are sleeping rough in dangerous weather

A look at sleeping rough during the cold weather As the province aims to house the homeless in Edmonton, Calgary also has people living in tents outside even on the coldest days.

In a makeshift lean-to made of foam, pads and blankets underneath the Reconciliation Bridge, you'll find Trey.

He has been "sleeping rough" in Calgary for more than two years.

"I definitely didn't think everything would end up, well, it isn't over yet, but I never thought I'd be living under a bridge," he said.

"I used to drink a lot. That was some of it. But I think I just kind of got depressed and lost the ambition, you know? I sort of said 'screw it,' and kind of stopped caring for the most part, I guess.

"But I haven't had a drink in three years now."

Ryan Pleckaitis, chief of Calgary Community Standards, says it's hard to put an exact number to the unhoused people in the city who remain sleeping outdoors, away from the shelter system.

"It changes based on the seasons. Warmer weather obviously influences those numbers. Right now, we have just over 200 complaints of encampments and camps across the City of Calgary," Pleckaitis said.

"Some of those are abandoned. They're no longer being used. So, you know, our best guess is about 140 to 170 people right now that are rough sleeping."

Edmonton declared a housing-and-homeless emergency on Tuesday and on Wednesday, the province stepped in, announcing a new support centre in Edmonton with the goal of helping people living in encampments.

Minister of Public Safety Mike Ellis said Edmonton's homeless encampments were a public safety risk.

"Edmonton is facing a cruel cycle of addiction, exploitation and crime that is preying on our most vulnerable. The visible hardship that we have seen, especially last week with the onset of the season's first serious cold snap, is both heartbreaking and daunting," Ellis said.

"I would like to be clear, these encampments have turned into gang-run drug camps that enable drug dealing, human trafficking, rape, crime, violence -- they are not safe places to sleep, nor are they safe places to live."

In an email to CTV, a spokesperson for the Calgary Police Service said there is no indication a similar situation is unfolding in Calgary, writing:

"We have nothing to suggest a similar occurrence in Calgary, however, we continue to monitor trends and emerging developments and remain committed to following up on all available intelligence."

Trey says he has been roughed up, living on the streets in Calgary, but never by gangs or over drugs.

"It makes no sense because nine times out of 10, it's homeless people attacking homeless people -- robbing homeless people," he said.

"Like, we're homeless. What are you expecting to get out of us?"

Pleckaitis says Calgary did face problems with crime at a large encampment in 2020, when a miniature tent city arose near the Drop-In Centre.

But since then, the city has taken a proactive approach in dealing with those sleeping rough.

"Where we've seen problems arise and unsanctioned encampments start to grow, we've tried to be as diligent as possible and co-ordinating with the Calgary Police Service, the Government of Alberta and various outreach groups to get people out of those environments and into safer living environments," Pleckaitis said.

"It's complex, and I think it's one that requires a lot of collaboration. We need partnerships from various outreach service providers, other agencies. And at the end of the day, we require more housing -- especially supportive housing to meet the needs of our rough-sleeping community."

Trey would like nothing more than a warm, safe place to call home.

He says despite being three years sober, he still finds it hard to navigate his way through the social support system.

"I'm always hearing other people complaining about how difficult it is -- how they're just getting thrown in circles," he said.

"Anybody could end up here. Everybody in the DI (Drop-In Centre) has a different story. No one comes from the same place or the same background and it happens to anyone for any reason at any time and it sucks."