SAINT JOHN, N.B. -- Winter seems to have unofficially arrived in the Maritimes, with double-digits below wind chills across the region.
Also arriving is the cold reality of heading into the frigid season while still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic -- a combination even more complicated for those without a permanent place to live.
Saint John’s Outflow Ministry Inc. has been operating its men’s shelter 24-hours-a-day since March -- a change prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic to give those living rough a place to go during the day.
But with winter well on its way, the shelter, like many, is heading into some uncharted territory.
“This will really be our first winter of seeing what 24 hours is like, because we opened so late in March last year that spring was basically here,” says Tony Dickinson, the director of shelter and housing at Outflow Men’s Shelter. “So we’re not exactly sure what that’s going to mean during the day as of yet.”
The bitter cold in much of the Maritimes is a reminder that winter is just around the corner.
While spring, summer and fall offered a chance to get outside during the COVID-19 pandemic, the upcoming season will be a different story, especially for those who are homeless or in need of emergency shelter.
“COVID-19 is a highly stressful season that we’re all in, and when we add homeless to that, which is always stressful, they’re dealing with two stresses where most of us are dealing with one,” says Dickinson.
The Coverdale Centre for Women says that they too have been operating 24/7 since March.
According to emergency shelter director Crystal Scott, since COVID-19, the shelter has brought in two outreach nurses and a social worker.
Scott says that winter can be a particularly challenging season when it comes to mental health.
"Anxiety and depression rise, and we also see a big change with addiction issues, that increases quite a bit,” says Scott. “Our role at the emergency shelter is to keep everyone safe and we do that.”
