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With January temperatures around -7.2 C in Smithers, B.C. and snowfall averaging around 15.9 inches it can be tricky to stay warm and dry for those living in Veterans Park.
Annette Morgan, executive director of Dze L K’ant Friendship Centre, said this year’s encampment residents dealt with a lot of damaged gear; broken zippers, moldy sleeping bags, tents that no longer kept them dry and warm and items frozen to the ground.
“It got cold quite quickly and what we immediately had to do was be creative and figure out what we had to do differently to ensure the safety of the residents living in Veterans Park over the cold spell,” she said.
“The number of calls that we have received to provide support increased a lot.”
After chatting with her husband, she reached out to folks in town who had cold weather expertise — like loggers, snowmobile enthusiasts or campers — and from there it grew. She began figuring out who in town to connect with to provide better wraparound services for those living in the encampment throughout the winter months.
One of her first stops was Outdoor Essentials, a local store owned by Sieghard Weitzel. “We didn’t consider the quality and the material that is required for extreme weather conditions,” said Morgan. “They stopped what they were doing and took the time to explain what was going to be required.”
Weitzel’s store is only a few blocks from the encampment. “We live in a small community and we are face to face with this every day … we do what we can,” Weitzel said.
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He said with companies making updates to products, he is able to get items for a really good discount. “Their dollars were able to go a lot farther, so instead of 15 sleeping bags, they were able to get 29.”
“Everyone would like to find a better solution for homeless people in Smithers,” adds Weitzel. “But until such a solution exists, the friendship centre, they do what they can and as a business, if I can help in any way I will.”
Providing sustainable supports is key to Dze L K’ant Friendship Centre’s success — they have limited resources and an even more limited budget and want to ensure what they’re providing lasts.
“We want people to feel self-sufficient, that they belong in the community, that many people are there for them,” said Morgan.
This past winter, nine people elected to remain in Veterans Park and the friendship centre learned that when it comes to resources, more is not better.
“It was a real eye-opener to all of us who really value and appreciate helping others. We know that the people who are most underserved in our community who are homeless, these are the same people … that have lived in our communities as long as we have,” said Morgan.
Another local business that worked with Dze L K’ant was Alpenhorn Bistro + Bar. Owned by Sascha Hillebrand and his husband Jeremy Roth, their working relationship with the friendship centre became more regular during the pandemic. They made meal plans and pre-made frozen meals which helped keep staff working.
Hillebrand said throughout the pandemic they probably made over 10,000 meals. These meals were bought at cost and handed out to community members in need.
The friendship centre also approached Hillebrand to see what foods they should be supplying encampment residents.
“Usually you take a lot of sandwiches or just unhealthy foods,” said Hillebrand. “We thought we should cook some from-scratch soups filled with proteins, vegetables, starches and more calories because you need that to give you strength.”
For Hillebrand, helping out the friendship centre means a lot. He lost a restaurant to a fire in 2005 and said the Indigenous community really stepped up for him.
“They took me in, gave me clothes, fed me — they did everything, it was like a huge family,” he said. “They were there for me when I needed them and now I’m in the position, I just want to cover my cost because I want to give back.”
Morgan hopes sharing their experience will show other communities they can do things differently as well
“Sometimes the donations that are being asked for contribute to the challenges our homeless population face,” she said. “Simple things like garbage bags, garbage pickup and shovels to ensure they’re able to protect the resources they have is really important.
“We can’t do it alone — we really do will rely on the skills and leadership from our communities.”