Edmonton’s transit and LRT stations have been busier than usual overnight lately. The city’s keeping them open for those seeking refuge from the brutal cold.
“In Edmonton, they only got three shelters for homeless and they’re packed,” Duane Dudar said. “It’s so cold out right now – they’re packed.”
READ MORE: Wind chill values between -40 and -45 expected in parts of Alberta Wednesday night
After trying to get a spot at a shelter, Dudar and his friend Dallas Crier spent Wednesday night inside the Churchill LRT Station.
“If you’re too late, they say, ‘Oh, we’re full. We’re full,'” Dudar said. “Then you have to try find someplace to go.”
“That’s why we had to stay here last night,” Crier said.
The city made it part of its cold weather protocol that, if it feels like -20 C or lower with the wind chill, stations would be a place where those who needed refuge could seek shelter from the conditions.
READ MORE: Blistering cold poses real danger for Edmonton’s homeless, agencies say
Dudar said they were forced to leave the LRT station at 6 a.m. Thursday but were still grateful for a warm place to sleep.
“They let us stay in certain places now,” he said. “Then they wake you up early – ‘Time to move’ – I don’t mind that.”
There was a meeting between community support service groups and the city Thursday morning.
Julian Daly, executive director of Boyle Street Community Services, said they talked about how to address the gap of time between when people can seek refuge in the transit stations and when Edmonton’s shelters open for the day.
“We’re gonna be better coordinated on that front,” Daly said. “When they’re deciding to open up the LRT station, they will let us know in advance.”
He said crisis teams will also go into the stations and offer to transport anyone who wants to go to a shelter.
READ MORE: Edmonton shelter opens 24-7 beds for less fortunate
“We’re also looking to open our own drop-in a little earlier in the morning on those particularly cold mornings so that when people are kicked out of the LRT at 6 a.m., they can come straight to us,” Daly said.
He praised the city for opening the transit and LRT stations on those extra cold nights.
Edmonton Transit says it’s learning how to make things better along the way.
“The contacts and some of the small initiatives that will start tonight – by working with EMS and some of the agencies, the Hope Mission – that’ll be critical for the people that are using the facilities down here,” Chuck Van Deel Piepers, with Edmonton Transit, said.
“We’re constantly looking to adapt and make it better for everyone,” he said, “starting to form those relationships so that we as a city as a whole can begin to respond better.”
Van Deel Piepers said the city and the support agencies talked about finding that balance between providing a safe haven from the cold and serving transit customers.
He said between 30 and 50 people stay in the the stations overnight when it’s cold.
For Crier, the freezing conditions are a real danger.
“My wife froze to death already outside,” he said. “She froze to death and now I got no more wife after… 30 years.”
In December, The Mustard Seed’s managing director Dean Kurpjuweit said it’s critical for many.
“You and I standing outside for three or four minutes seems like a long time. Imagine sleeping in this,” he said.
From hypothermia to frostbite, there are many potential consequences to prolonged exposure.
READ MORE: Volunteers help homeless Edmontonians through cold snap
Joe Loco noticed several people seeking warmth in the LRT station early Thursday morning.
“I feel for them.”
He said he’s started wearing long johns when he’s inside, never mind braving the elements outdoors.
“I know that sometimes it’s hard to stay in one place say for 45 minutes or an hour,” Loco said. “It gets to you.”
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