Winnipeg’s homeless shelters brace for extreme cold

WINNIPEG — The city’s homeless shelters are bracing for severe weather as Winnipeggers woke up to an extreme cold warning Wednesday morning.

Windchill values hovered at times below -40, making conditions extremely dangerous for Winnipeg’s homeless community.

“We turned away 21 people last night, 10 the night before,” said Al Foster from Siloam Mission. The shelter has been at capacity every night lately. “We are just trying to keep food on plates.”

WATCH: CEO of Siloam Mission talks about the challenges of the extreme cold on homeless and Siloam

3:32 CEO of Siloam Mission talks about the challenges of the extreme cold on the way

Meanwhile, the city issued a notice reminding residents that facilities normally open on weekdays and weekends are available as ‘warming areas’, including City Hall, Winnipeg Public Libraries, swimming pools and Leisure Centres.