Salvation Army Yellowknife Shelter Prepares for Winter

With the chill of winter now in the air, Salvation Army shelters across the Alberta & Northern Territories Division are preparing for increased demand for their beds.

“As the outdoor temperatures go down, the need and demand for shelter beds goes up,” says Captain Mark Stanley, Divisional Secretary for Public Relations & Development. “In the summer many homeless individuals will stay outdoors, but this just isn’t feasible during Canadian winters.”

Nowhere is this more apparent than at The Salvation Army’s Bailey House in Yellowknife, NWT. Winter arrives much earlier in Yellowknife than it does in the rest of the country and Bailey House is already seeing more clients coming indoors to escape the lower night time temperatures. Bailey House has capacity to house 49 males.

A recent media report stated, when the shelter is full to capacity, some homeless individuals are temporarily housed in jail cells . Captain Stanley clarified by stating, “This is not how capacity issues are being addressed.”

“Bailey House provides a critical service to the Yellowknife community and we endeavour to ensure that no one is left out in the cold,” continues Captain Stanley. “The Salvation Army also continues to work with community partners to deliver a long term solution to homelessness in Yellowknife.”