Cathy Dobson/The Independent

Sarnia’s busy shelters are squeezing in about 20 extra people per night this week as those experiencing homelessness escape bitterly cold temperatures. 

Ten to 14 of them have found warmth at the Inn of the Good Shepherd’s Lodge on Confederation Street and at the overflow shelter on Exmouth Street where they are given temporary camping mats, says executive director Myles Vanni.

The threat of frost bite has also prompted another seven or so each night to ask for a bed at the River City Vineyard Church shelter on Mitton Street.

But there are still people experiencing homelessness who are refusing the warmth of a shelter even though temperatures have dipped down to -20 C and lower, says Anita Trusler.  She manages Sarnia-Lambton’s Community Health Integration Care (CHIC) team, which works on the street to address complex healthcare issues there.

“It’s been an extremely busy week for everyone involved in support services,” said Trusler.  The CHIC team is seeing an increase in frost bite as well as burns caused by the use of heaters and propane tanks in makeshift tents.

“It may baffle you and me, but there are some people who feel safer and more secure staying outdoors instead of going indoors,” Trusler said.  She knows of some individuals who were offered shelter space and refused because they didn’t want to be around substance abuse.

“Everyone has a story and a reason they are homeless,” Trusler said.  “Not all have addictions or struggle with mental health.  There truly are individuals who have found themselves between jobs or unable to find work because of health reasons.”

The CHIC team is going to where people have set up tents in the bitter cold and offering hand and foot warmers, hats, mitts, and transportation to warming stations set up at every Lambton County library branch.

Trusler described one person who she said refuses to go into a shelter because they are afraid of violence.  They communicate daily with support services and are “on the verge” of being housed.  “It’s wonderful,” said Tusler.  “There’s a great deal of work being done to support these people.”

Apart from a dozen or so who continue to live in an encampment at Rainbow Park, others are living rough along Howard Watson Trail, in areas of London Line and Confederation Street, according to shelter managers.

Trusler said well-established teams of professionals that include CHIC, Sarnia Police Services’ IMPACT, and Lambton County’s homeless outreach workers are in large part responsible for ensuring there have been no tragedies in the cold so far.

“Fortunately, we have not had a lot of calls for extreme weather exposure,” said Trusler. “We’ve created a circle of care around this population.”

The Inn of the Good Shepherd’s Lodge has 35 beds that have been full since mid-December, said Vanni.  When the cold weather alert was issued by Lambton Health Unit on Jan. 17, the Lodge offered camping mats and space in the building’s breezeway, he said.

Others were directed to the overflow shelter on Exmouth, which is operated by the Inn in conjunction with Lambton County.

Thirty-five beds at the overflow facility have been full for weeks, but several mats were laid out in the former church’s sanctuary when the cold snap hit.  More can be added if necessary.

“It would be really scary if we didn’t have the overflow,” Vanni said.  “It may sound extreme, but I’m sure people would be dead without it.”

At River City Vineyard, where no one can stay unless they can pass a drug test, manager Audrey Kelway says the 53 beds for men was full prior to the cold snap and a few of the 16 women’s beds were occupied. 

“We’ve had six or seven more women come in now and we can take 10 more,” she said.  “But women can usually get a couch at someone’s house whereas men can’t always do that.”

She said she’s been told a number of those who choose to continue to sleep rough despite freezing temperatures frequently warm up at the new Grace Café operating on Davis Street every morning.

The café provides free hot drinks, warm clothes, soup and snacks daily (except Sundays) from 7 a.m. – 11 a.m.

“You have the diehards that stay out there and really appreciate Grace Cafe,” Kelway said.  “They are the people who say they don’t want to go into a shelter.

“There actually are people who say they function better outside.”