Surviving Extreme Weather: How Homeless People Stay Cool and Dry

There are 53 cooling sites in Waterloo Region where homeless people can seek shelter during extreme heat. But Lindsay Sprague, director of community programs at Sanguen Health Centre, says that’s not enough.

“I think our region does a really good job of coordinating a number of cooling centers across the region and engaging community partners in the planning of those cooling centers. But sometimes those centers are more of a short-term relief effort,” Sprague said.

One of the issues she raises with cold stores is that they are not open 24/7 — they are not open until 11pm and there are only a few of them in Waterloo and Woolwich. In Kitchener and Cambridge some of the stores are not open until 9pm.

“Sometimes those spaces are also in areas or buildings that people might be a little hesitant to come into — like municipal buildings or other places that might not feel as welcoming,” Sprague said. Many of the spaces are in city halls or other public buildings like libraries and community centers.

“In addition, people sometimes have difficulty finding transportation to a cooling center.”

Extreme heat can be deadly. In Quebec, a total of 280 people died from extreme heat in 2010, according to Statistics Canada, and in British Columbia, some 619 people died in 2021.

More shelter beds would help address the cold storage issues, Sprague said. A Waterloo Region spokesperson said there were 1,085 people experiencing homelessness in September 2021 (the most recent count), but only 519 beds were available.

That’s 136 fewer than in February, partly due to the loss of 66 beds when YW Kitchener-Waterloo closed this summer.

A ‘blessing’

Abdullah Ali, who spends time in a friend’s tent at the camp at 100 Victoria Street in Kitchener, says he rarely uses the public cooling stations, opting instead to use the facility run by The Working Centre across the street from that camp.

He said they provide showers, toilets and a place to relax and he described it as a “blessing” for them.

“It’s a safe place where you can basically go in and not have to go sit in the bushes and get arrested or anything, right?” he said.

The day CBC News spoke with Ali, it was 100 degrees Fahrenheit. During the interview, he asked if he could do it in the shade.

“Well, there are no windows,” he said, speaking of his friend’s tent, “but no matter how far you open the zippers on the net, on the mosquito netting to let air in, no matter what you do, it’s damn hot.”

“So you just have to walk around and distract yourself.”

Sanguen, in partnership with the region, is doing outreach and trying to teach people how to recognize heatstroke — the symptoms and what to do if they get it. They’re also handing out items like sunscreen, water bottles, and tips on how else to stay cool.

Ali says he’s not worried about heat stroke.

Cool air as a human right

Blair Feltmate, who directs the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo, told CBC The current host Matt Galloway, that he believes access to cool air during extreme heat is a human right. Shannon Down of Waterloo Region Community Legal Services agrees with this sentiment.

“My personal view is yes: the ability to protect yourself from extreme weather is a human right, whether it’s heat or cold, and we need to do more to support and protect the homeless members of our community,” Down told CBC News.

The added challenge of rain

The rain can pose an additional challenge for the homeless, especially given the heavy rainfall in the region over the past month.

Stacey Bricknell, a nurse practitioner with Community Health Caring KW’s outreach teams, says that during rainstorms there is a risk that someone’s belongings could be damaged and need to be replaced, which could impact the person’s wellbeing.

“I think we have to consider the trauma that people go through when they have to keep replacing the few things they have and having to start over and redecorate,” Bricknell said.

“We have to remember that many people who stay outdoors cannot afford to buy quality gear that will help them survive in the wilderness. That’s why many people lie on the ground and don’t use waterproof blankets or sleeping bags.”

Wet feet can also be dangerous, Bricknell explained, leading to damage to the skin on the feet and subsequent infections.

“If their shoes get broken, there is no place to dry them. Especially if it rains for a few days. Then they might need several pairs of shoes, and that is very difficult to find,” she says.

Tarps can help if you’re living in a tent during the rain, Bricknell said, as can holding up the tent with mats or a skid. She also mentioned the facility across the street at 100 Victoria Street that Ali used, as it has a clothes dryer available for use.

According to Environment Canada, there were 10 rainy days last month, two of which had heavy rainfall, with more than 55 mm.