'I woke up with ice in my tent': Halifax homeless bracing for colder weather

Wednesday night was an uncomfortable one for people living in tents in Nova Scotia.

“Quite frigid, especially after the sun went down. I woke up with ice in my tent,” says Jacob Hicks.

He is one of about 32 people staying at a tent encampment at a ball field in Lower Sackville, N.S. He doesn’t like to think about the inevitability of even colder nights still to come

“I’ve been very resilient in the rest of my life so I know I will make it whether it’s a struggle or not. I worry about other people who could actually pass away or freeze to death because they are more vulnerable,” he says.

Not far away at the Beacon House Shelter there are six micro shelters with two more on the way. Inside there are beds for another 20 people.

“A year ago or so we were opening this shelter for an evening four evenings a week. Now its 24/7, all year long with provincial funding, but the demand is way up,” says board member Jim Gunn.

That means difficult decisions have to be made.

“We turn away people most days now. Sometimes we can turn away 10 or a dozen, sometimes it’s 20. In the winter weather, we expect to turn people away each evening,” Gunn says.

The province announced yesterday that they will be opening a new 50-bed shelter in Halifax. No information, however, was provided about where or when that will happen.

It is progress, but with 1,050 homeless people in Halifax, Hicks says more needs to be done, and faster.

“If people can keep helping, that would be wonderful, and we appreciate it so, so much. Always remember there are people out here, I try to say I am a pretty healthy guy and I’m young, but there are people out here who are very sick or elderly,” he says.

“Of course, we are hearing the announcements that the government is trying to do something and that’s great but we also know that it’s going to take time to build things and install things, hire staff, find the right staff,” Gunn says.

Hicks says a non-profit group did drop off enough small buddy heaters for everyone at the site along with a propane canister that lasts five hours to help get them through the night.

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