'Everything is soaked': Ice fishing tents in Halifax put to the test

After a storm blew through the Maritimes, some people living in the ice fishing tents at Grand Parade in Halifax are experiencing the cold and wet weather within their tents.

Richard Young, one of the people living at Grand Parade inside one of the bright red ice fishing tent in front of city hall, said the first night of the storm on Monday left the tent extremely wet.

“You might as well just put a bucket of water over your head,” he said. “Everything is soaked right now and everybody’s getting sick. There’s a flu going around and all kinds of other things.”

The tents cost around $300 each and were donated by volunteers Stephen Wilsack and Matthew Grant. Wilsack believes the tents can work, but some people using certain types of heaters have it worse.

“Propane heaters have an extreme amount of heat that they give off so that’s caused an extreme amount of moisture within the tents themselves so that’s causing a tremendous amount of condensation,” he said, noting electric heaters would be a solution to this problem.

Some people are even sick with pneumonia and sitting in wet clothes and sleeping bags.

“Just this morning I literally had two people that were shaking. Freezing cold. We set up our fire pit over there and got extra blankets, extra jackets, and within an hour that’s all wet,” said Wilsack.

Young said there are no other options except pushing through this weather system.

“Eight people went over at the shelter in Dartmouth,” he said. “They went to Dartmouth [and] they didn’t have any room for them or at least they were there wasn’t. We got four people in right before we left.”

Unlike other encampments, the tents here have withstood different weather conditions, said Wilsack. However, they’re meant to be used temporarily, not all-season long.

“Most tents are water-resistant, not waterproof,” he said. “Residents are unsure of what the days ahead will look like, especially if weather like this continues.”

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