'We can't forget about them': Halifax volunteers hand out meals, winter gear ahead of snowstorm

A group of volunteers were handing out meals and survival kits to people at the Geary Street tent encampment in Dartmouth, N.S., Wednesday afternoon.

It's a joint initiative between the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre and the Ginch Operation founded by Halifax firefighter Leroy Fontaine.

“We travel across HRM (Halifax Regional Municipality) delivering these things to the people on the streets and that's kind of our niche,” Fontaine says.

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With 80 people living in tents in both designated encampments and non-approved sites, the group is determined to find them all.

“It's important that everybody comes together as a community to help. These are our community members and we can't forget about them,” says Debbie Eisen with the Mi’Kmaw Native Friendship Centre.

As a snowy weekend storm approaches, Halifax’s director of housing and homelessness says the province is working on an overnight drop-in shelter.

“We've still got lots of people who are still living outside,” Max Chauvin says.

Chauvin points to longer term options around the corner with Pallet shelters and tiny homes on the verge of opening.

However, he doesn't believe that means the city is getting the upper hand on homelessness.

“I think we then have to start planning for what I expect will be some more folks becoming homeless over the winter and then more folks specifically in spring and summer,” says Chauvin.

A tent encampment site in the Halifax Regional Municipality is seen on Dec. 18, 2024. (CTV Atlantic/Jonathan MacInnis)

With the University Avenue encampment now closed, there are five designated encampment sites throughout the Halifax Regional Municipality set up for 40 people. However, they are overflowing.

Experts say there needs to be more options available to get people off the streets.

“We do need those spaces, but we do need shelter beds that come from a very deep trauma informed lens where folks who have a lot of triggers and dynamics around being in collective spaces that that can be kind of provided in a safe and dignified way,” says Dalhousie professor Jeff Karabanow.

Until that happens, helping people get by day-by-day is essential.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page.