The Salvation Army in Saskatoon Provides an Emergency Overnight Warm Space
This winter, The Salvation Army in Saskatoon is providing an emergency overnight warming centre so people experiencing homelessness can avoid the frigid temperatures.
The Army’s warming centre is open from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., allowing residents of the street to have a place to spend the night whenever the temperatures are unbearably low.
The Executive Director of The Salvation Army’s Crossroads Residential Services, Major Gordon Taylor, explained that other local organizations offer additional warming centres during the evening. Due to space concerns, the Army takes care of the overnight portion.
“The numbers seem to increase every year.”
“There were two other agencies that did this last year, but they had a very small space. It was not large enough to handle that number of people. The numbers seem to increase every year,” Major Taylor said.
Needing a bigger space, St. Mary’s Parish stepped up and offered their premises to The Salvation Army for the warming shelter. Guests that come to the warming centre are welcomed with some snacks, fruits, and water. While they are there, they spend time with other guests as well as Salvation Army staff.
“The people are thankful that there is a place they can go to,” Major Taylor said, referring to the guest’s reaction to the centre’s availability.
The warming centre first opened on Dec. 4, and it is scheduled to run until March 31. It can host 100 people.
“The people are thankful that there is a place they can go to.”
Major Taylor says the centre has been reaching full capacity early in the winter. This is concerning as Saskatoon has not reached extremely low temperatures yet, and with the current housing instability, the number of people accessing warming centres and shelters is expected to increase.
“Yeah, that’s the scary part because we haven’t had any winter weather yet. So once that comes, we’re not sure what is going to happen.”
Major Taylor calls on the community to support The Salvation Army by donating winter wear that can be distributed to guests at the warming centre. This could be an effective way to protect people who are unable to access any shelters due to high demand.
“We’ve had quite a few donations of winter clothing,” Major Taylor shared.
According to the latest Salvation Army Annual Poverty & Socioeconomic Analysis, 17 per cent of Canadians faced housing insecurity this past year. The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda provided 4,800 shelter, addictions, and mental health beds in 2023.
The Salvation Army currently operates more than 50 emergency shelters across the country. Access to these during extreme weather conditions can sometimes be the difference between life and death for individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
By Juan Romero
