What winter is like on the streets of Lethbridge for one homeless man

Winter is still over a month away, yet Lethbridge has already seen a great deal of snow, making for harsh living conditions for those without a roof over their head.

Joey Morning Owl calls the streets of Lethbridge home. He hasn’t slept in two days.

“Walking around for most of the night because it’s pretty cold,” Morning Owl said.

He said he turns to alcohol to find warmth. He’d already had a bit to drink by the time he spoke with Global News Friday morning.

“Me and my cousins here, we’ve been going through this for a long time, since we were little kids,” he said. “Our parents were alcoholics and… this is all that we learned.”

Morning Owl said he’ll sometimes stay at the local shelter, or he’ll find a relatives’ couch to sleep on, but most days he’s outside. He said he goes to the same few spots around the city at night until he finds a place no one else has claimed.

“This morning I had to get some boots, my cousins, too, had to get boots because our feet were soaked,” he said. “It was pretty chilly this morning.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "This morning I had to get some boots, my cousins, too, had to get boots because our feet were soaked," he said. "It was pretty chilly this morning."

Morning Owl and his cousins stopped by Streets Alive to pick up a dry pair of boots Friday morning, which is where Gloval News met him. He was eating his first meal in four days. It was his reward for helping with chores at the outreach centre.

Streets Alive associate director of philanthropy Marie McLennan says it’s difficult to keep up with the demand for clothing.

“This year is the worst year in 27 years of operating the mission,”  McLennan said. “We’ve seen unprecedented growth this year.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "This year is the worst year in 27 years of operating the mission,"  McLennan said. "We've seen unprecedented growth this year."

Warm clothes or not, for Morning Owl, it’s just one day at a time.

“Maybe tonight might be better than last night and find some place warm.”