Shelter provides a safe home as Nova Scotia cleans up from storm

The same storm that hit Toronto with record-breaking snowfall is now impacting Atlantic Canada, causing closures across the region. Paul Hollingsworth has more.

As Halifax continues to dig out following a major snowstorm, the Souls Harbour Rescue Mission men’s shelter is setting up new beds, expanding from a capacity of 33 to 44.

“The phone was ringing off the hook as soon as the storm was approaching,” said the shelter program officer, Marni Yuke. “Everything came in a timely fashion, and we were able to fill those beds with people who were coming in from encampments and didn’t have a place or were displaced for other reasons.”

Yuke said the facility is more than just a short-term shelter – it’s also a home and a safe space for the men who live there.

“This is where they live, and this is where they sleep,” said Yuke.

According to shelter resident Colin Henderson, moving in and escaping the snowy conditions saved his life.

“If we didn’t have places like Souls Harbour Mission, we would probably freeze to death,” said Henderson.

“If you are out and about in the community, we will bring you in and do the best we can to find shelter here or someplace else in the community, because these temperatures are dangerous,” added shelter manager Eddie Setera.

A housing shortage has impacted many communities in Nova Scotia. Halifax’s Community Safety Executive Director Rachel Boehm said the most recent statistics from late 2025 showed the city’s homeless population had reached 1,150, which included people currently living in shelters.

As the punishing winter of 2026 continues, the city has a message for everyone on the streets: more beds are available.

“If we see a storm coming, we get out there and warn people,” said Boehm. “We offer them the spaces; we know where the spaces are, and we offer transportation.”

As Souls Harbour Rescue Mission adjusts to their newly expanded capacity, it will want to add even more beds soon, so it can provide shelter during the harsh winter months.

“The upstairs is empty, but that’s a whole bunch of red tape that needs to be put through before we can potentially open upstairs,” said Yuke.

Yuke added that the work to expand this shelter and others never ends, especially during the winter and at a time when the number of people without a home remains high.