When the evacuation order came down for the city of Yellowknife, Tony Brushett knew there were people who would need extra help to get out.
“We got a call from the territorial government stating that the most vulnerable, those with mental health and addictions issues were going to charter a flight so that was good,” said Brushett who is the executive director of Yellowknife’s Salvation Army that provides mental health and addiction support services.
“As we lined them up to get them on one of the flights, I guess one of the concerns was, what about the homeless population.”
A 2021 point-in-time count found 312 people were experiencing homelessness in Yellowknife. Approximately 50 people rely on the Salvation Army’s shelter for a bed every night. Brushett’s team made sure those people were either evacuated with other family members or knew where to go once they arrived in Calgary. 17 men are now staying at Calgary’s Centre of Hope, in a newly converted space.
“We’re just converting (this space) into transitional housing, so we were two weeks out of filling it with new clients,” said Cliff Weibe, executive director of the Salvation Army in Calgary. “So, what we were going to do in two weeks, the team did in two hours and got everything set up.”
Five staff members from the Yellowknife Salvation Army are also working out of the Centre of Hope to support its clients. They are in constant communication with those who are not staying at the shelter, the Salvation Army services roughly 100 people in the Northwest Territories through all its programs.
“We have them scattered out everywhere, but our staff are calling daily and just checking in on them,” said Brushett. “Knowing that they are safe is key for us right now.”
Brushett says having a bed and access to their regular services could be the difference between life and death for some of their most vulnerable clients.
“Any change is tough and if they were put out into the general population of Calgary, they wouldn’t know how to survive.”
The Calgary Drop In Centre has also seen a slight increase in demand for its shelter services but says they have beds and have readied the kitchen staff should there be more evacuees in need. Its donation centre has opened a pop-up shop allowing people access to free everyday items they weren’t able to bring with them.
“We know how challenging it can be to deal with poverty,” said Colin Newman, a supervisor at the Drop In Donation Centre. “To have the added difficulty of moving and dealing with the environment of a new city… moving away from home on an emergency basis, that’s a very difficult circumstance.”
21 evacuees have been through the donation centre stocking up. Newman says it brings him joy to know he’s helping if even just a little.
“The first family that came in, they had a big family of four kids,” said Newman. “I could see on their faces just how much of a toll this ordeal was taking on them.”
Both the Salvation Army and the Drop In Centre say they are in need of donations, specifically personal hygiene products. They can be dropped off at their respective donation centers, and cash donations can be made online. Both organizations also welcome anyone looking to volunteer their time to help evacuees.
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