Edmontonians gather in snowstorm to raise awareness of homelessness

Edmontonians gathered outside the Alberta legislature to call attention to the housing crisis in Edmonton and across Canada. (Galen McDougall/CTV News Edmonton)

A small group of Edmontonians gathered outside in the snowstorm Saturday to raise awareness on the housing crisis.

This summer, Edmonton's main housing agency, Homeward Trust, reported a dramatic 47-per-cent rise in the number of residents living unhoused or in temporary accommodations.

The Edmonton Coalition on Housing and Homelessness (ECHH) invited the group out in support of the more than 4,000 community members believed to be living without a home.

It was one of 15 similar events held in Canada to mark National Housing Day.

"Today is a day all across Canada to say to people, we have got to recover that tradition of building social housing for people that are struggling," ECHH spokesperson Jim Gurnett said.

"Individual lives will be healthier and safer, but we have to get on with it."

Participants were asked to wrap themselves in a blanket or tarp and experience what winter is like for people experiencing homelessness.

Those items and others, such as wagons and tents, were then donated to people who needed them.

The Edmonton area was under a snowfall warning during the event, as Friday night snow continued into the late afternoon.

"We would have loved to have a beautiful day, but an important point is that we can choose," Gurnett said.

"I can go home from being cold out here for a couple of hours, and I can warm up in a secure place of my own. But there's more than 4,000 people that won't be able to do that today and that couldn't do it yesterday or the day before.

"We see people being injured, losing limbs and dying in this weather because there is nothing available for them."

The City of Edmonton will activate its extreme weather response Sunday, as temperatures are expected to plunge to -20 next week.

The city announced this year it would be offering free overnight shuttles regardless of the temperature until March, to keep people warm at night.

Outreach workers will be on the buses to help connect riders with resources.

The province said it is spending $42.5 million to support 1,800 shelter spaces in Edmonton, and it is prepared to add surge capacity if needed.

Homeward Trust its point-in-time count in October, which will offer more detailed information on the current situation in Edmonton. Those results have not yet been released.