ASAP's Bridget Moran Place has been over-capacity with recent extreme weather             250News photo

Prince George, BC – While there is always an increase in the number of people seeking beds in our downtown shelters during the winter months, at least one is seeing unprecedented numbers…

There are three emergency shelters in Prince George:  Active Support Against Poverty's Bridge Moran Place, which offers 30 beds to men, women and families; the Association Advocating for Women and Children (AWAC) shelter, which offers 30 spots for women and their children; and the Prince George Native Friendship Centre's Ketso Yoh Men's Hostel, which has 21 beds for men.  The shelters receive 'extreme weather' funding for an additional 10 beds each from November 1st to March 31st.

Active Support Against Poverty Executive Director, Audrey Schwartz, says while ASAP's shelter has typically been over-capacity during cold snaps in past years, this recent deep freeze has seen an 'abnormal' increase.

"During really cold weather, we get people in here because being outside will mean death," says Schwartz.  "And I recall 47 and 48 (people needing a bed), but we had 53 people here last Sunday night, Monday night was 52, Tuesday was 52."

Schwartz says ASAP is so busy on the 'front line', trying to make sure people are safe, that staff haven't had time to research what's sparked the increase in numbers, but she suspects it's a combination of factors, including a greater number of homeless people.

AWAC Executive Director, Diane Nakamura, says her association's shelter has been full, too, but says it's still in the normal range.  However, Nakamura points out, "With ASAP, they are co-ed and so that might be the reason they're seeing such a jump in their numbers because there are a lot of homeless men in this city and that might be making up the difference."

Nakamura says there are a number of local organizations involved in the city's extreme weather protocol.  She says the local shelters work very well together and will send people to one another, based on beds available.  "We have a great, great relationship – it doesn't matter how many people come to us because we will not let anybody not have a place to stay during the winter months."

She also credits the RCMP with defusing potentially disastrous situations, "They will bring us women who are out in the community and, for different reasons, in different levels of distress." Nakamura says before the shelters were open, people would often have to resort to desperate measures to survive the cold weather, like breaking into a home or vehicle.  "So these things aren't happening as often as they used to."

ASAP's Audrey Schwartz says the community, in general, is very supportive of the shelters' efforts.  "We've had people walking in everyday over the last week with mitts and boots, hats and coats and we really appreciate that.  However, more of that is needed, particularly since it (the extreme cold) doesn't look like it's going to let up for a few days yet."

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(Editor's Note:  a call to the Ketso Yoh Men's Hostel was has not yet been returned)