Two recent deaths from cold exposure are putting the topic of safety in the cold at the forefront.
On Saturday, Manitoba RCMP responded to two deaths from cold exposure. The first happened in Selkirk around 11:40 a.m., where a 52-year-old man from the community was found dead in a park.
The second happened around 3 p.m. in Gillam, where a 48-year-old woman from Fox Lake Cree Nation was found dead near the local baseball diamonds.
RCMP say the investigations into the deaths are ongoing, but no foul play is suspected.
Although few details are available concerning the circumstances of these incidents, the recent deaths are bringing the topic of safety in the cold at the forefront.
The organization 1JustCity started an emergency overnight pop-up centre called Just a Warm Sleep. They started the program after a woman froze to death in downtown Winnipeg three years ago.
“Just a Warm Sleep was actually a response to a tweet from Aboriginal Youth Opportunities asking us to open the doors and let relatives in to be safe and warm overnight,” said 1JustCity executive director Tessa Blaikie Whitecloud.
Just a Warm Sleep runs each night from Jan. 1 until March 31 at the Augustine United Church in Osborne Village. The program can take in up to 30 people a night.
Whitecloud says it costs $275 a night to run.
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“These types of programs that allow people a safe place overnight are life-saving and beyond that, they’re something that makes me proud of Winnipeg. I think we should be ensuring that all of our neighbours have somewhere safe to be,” said Whitecloud.
“I can’t imagine sleeping well myself knowing that a whole bunch of people that just had bad luck are suffering on the street.”
Several other organizations including Siloam Mission, Main Street Project, and The Salvation Army offer overnight warming shelters. Westend 24, Macdonald Youth Services, Tina’s Safe Haven, and Rossbrook House offer youth-specific overnight shelters.
End Homelessness Winnipeg also says people can go to any City of Winnipeg Library, pool, or leisure centre to warm up during their regular hours.
Experts also say substance use can often play a role in deaths from cold exposure.
“Especially at holiday time, lots of people are going to be drinking alcohol. Moderation is generally a good idea,” said University of Manitoba professor and physiologist Gordon Giesbrecht.
“But if you’re going to be walking around, at least have somebody with you and try to make sure you don’t end up lying down in a snowbank somewhere.
“If you shiver for five or 10 seconds, that’s no big deal, but if you’re continuously shivering, that’s your body telling you something’s wrong. You need to either put some more insulation on, get inside, or do some exercise to produce some heat.”
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