Maritimers are coping with another day of below-freezing temperatures, with the homeless among those hardest hit by the cold snap.
Shelters across the region are packed and those who rely on them say they are grateful to have some respite from the biting cold.
“They give you a warm meal and a warm bed, stay out of the cold so you’re not freezing on the street,” says Michael Czagala.
“Ten or 12 years I’ve used their facility when I’ve been transient, so I’m grateful it’s available,” says another man who depends on shelters to keep warm at night.
Shelters in the Maritimes have backup plans in place to make additional beds available when confronted with extreme cold.
These can include approaching church groups, provincial governments or the Red Cross.
So far they haven’t had to do that — right now, the beds they have aren’t full.
Nonetheless, it’s been a busy week for shelters across the Maritimes, as extreme cold temperatures continue to grip Atlantic Canada.
In Halifax this morning, Czagala awoke shivering, with no home and no idea where he could find shelter for the cold night ahead.
“I don’t have winter clothes, winter gear, nothing,” he said.
Czagala’s been staying at the Salvation Army since Friday, but was told if he wasn’t eligible for social assistance by Wednesday he would have to pay $20 a day for a bed.
The former chef wants to stay at the shelter because he feels it’s the best chance he has to turn his life around.
“I mean, I am not an alcoholic, I am not a drug addict, I am just a person down on his luck and it is just getting worse,” he said.
The Salvation Army says if someone is in need they will never be turned away. The same goes for shelters across the Maritimes — especially in extreme temperatures like these.
By this afternoon, an avenue had opened up for Czagala.
After he spent the whole day worrying about where he would spend the night, the Nova Scotia community services department agreed to help.
“It is not fair, it is not right. Some people are just down on their luck for a sort time, others for a long time and they need these places,” he said.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Kelland Sundahl