London, Ont. man discovered in dumpster, hospitalized after trying to escape the cold

With snow on the ground, people without homes are scrambling for a warm place to stay in London.

One man was reportedly taken to hospital after ending up in the back of a garbage truck.

The incident happened when the truck emptied the dumpster he was sleeping in earlier Monday morning.

The garbage collectors were able to get him out before he was compacted, and the man was taken to hospital and treated for hypothermia.

“When shelters are full, I think it’s a system problem that a lot of cities are facing this time of year with an increase in people using shelters across the province,” said London’s manager of homeless prevention, Craig Cooper.

Cooper said the city is working to get people permanently housed to free up shelter space, adding that many are seeking refuge in underground parking garages or stairwells.

2:03 Oshawa man sleeps outside to raise awareness around homelessness

More people than ever before are experiencing homelessness in London, with 2,400 individuals and families accessing emergency shelters each year.

“We are still seeing people sleeping outside, but it’s probably a tenth of what we saw in the summer,” Cooper said.

The city is trying to open up more overnight warming stations for people to escape the cold, which Cooper said is dependent on having enough staff and available spaces.

If someone is in immediate danger, Cooper recommends calling 911, or in non-emergent cases, London Cares at 519-667-2273.