Wave of mobilization to face the extreme cold

(Montreal) Services for the most vulnerable went out of their way to ensure that everyone was warm as the cold snap continued in Quebec on Saturday.

At the Quebec Native Project shelter on De La Gauchetière Street in Montreal, a worker had been on duty for more than 12 hours to ensure a constant presence with homeless people who frequent the place.

“The directive we gave to our employees is that we don’t refuse anyone here, even if someone is barred from the shelter or arrives impaired,” explains the organization’s executive director, Heather Johnston, met on site Saturday noon.

The shelter of approximately 60 places in two different locations has also decided to remain open 24 hours a day during the extreme cold wave affecting Quebec. Users, who normally have to leave the premises during the day, can stay inside for a few days. All thanks to the dedication of employees who agreed to work many more hours than usual, underlines Mr.^me Johnson.

“It’s good to be here,” says Betty Tuckatuk, who has frequented the place for several years. She is about to go out with her fiancé, Jacob Coonishish, after staying indoors since the day before. Does she fear for the safety of other people living on the streets? “I just hope that if they’re not here, they’re somewhere else, inside,” she says.

On Saturday, the temperature dropped to -29°C in Montreal at 6 a.m., and with the wind factor, the temperature felt like -43, extreme cold that can cause frostbite very quickly. The mercury gradually rose during the day, reaching -22°C in the afternoon, with a wind chill of -33.

Generalized mobilization

Quebec Native Project is not the only organization to ask its employees to work overtime to ensure the safety of the most vulnerable. Workers from the Mobile Mediation and Intervention and Social Mediation Team (ÉMMIS) have exceptionally been working extra hours since the start of the cold snap to tour the camps and places frequented by the homeless, a indicated on Friday François Raymond, director general of the Social Development Corporation.

“It’s really everyone who is mobilized, also reports Marie-Pier Therrien, director of communications for the Old Brewery Mission. We have supervisors and coordinators who come in to do extra shifts, employees who agree to work extra hours. »

The City of Montreal has also opened until Sunday two temporary emergency warming centers for the homeless population, each of which can accommodate up to 50 people between 8 p.m. and 9 a.m.

At BAnQ’s Grande Bibliothèque, a daytime heat-break has been set up, in partnership with the Société de transports de Montréal (STM) and volunteers from l’Itinéraire.

Well-stocked shelters

In the Hôtel-Dieu shelter, located in the former Plateau Mont-Royal hospital, the 186 places were filled overnight from Friday to Saturday, and two people were also accommodated in the cafeteria. At the other shelter managed by Mission Bon Accueil, 3 places were still available out of 160, said general manager Sam Watts.

The 237 places in the men’s and women’s pavilions at the Old Brewery Mission are also full, says Ms.^me Morin. About 140 people also spent the night from Friday to Saturday in the Café Mission, the organization’s heat shelter open 24 hours a day until the end of the cold snap. On average, normally about 80 people use it at a time.

” [Vendredi], I spent the night at Open Doors, explains Robert Rocheleau, met in front of the Hôtel-Dieu in the afternoon. Today, I don’t know how I’m going to go back there, ”adds the elderly man who says he suffers from Alzheimer’s. He soon returns to the shelter, accompanied by workers.

For Daniel, who attends Native Projects of Quebec, life on the streets is not always easy. “Normally, I walk during the day, but the temperatures are quite low there. The important thing is to prevent the world from freezing, especially the elderly. »

The cold spell ends

Extreme cold and wind alerts were still in effect across much of Quebec and the Maritimes Saturday afternoon, with Environment Canada.

In the capital, the mercury reached – 32°C at 7 a.m., with a temperature felt of – 48. If the temperature rose to – 25°C in the afternoon, the wind chill was still – 38.

The portrait is similar in Sherbrooke (- 31°C on Saturday morning, – 45 with the wind chill), Gatineau (- 33°C in the morning, – 43 with the wind chill) and Trois-Rivières (- 32°C in the morning , – 45 with wind chill).

However, the cold snap was supposed to end towards the end of the day on Saturday, or even Sunday for eastern Quebec. In Montreal, the thermometer should rise close to the freezing point on Sunday. Light snow mixed with rain is forecast.