Amid cold snap, the number of people at Kelowna tent encampment doubles in size from last year
An estimated 220 people are sheltering this winter at Kelowna's designated tent encampment along a rail trail
More than 200 people are living in tents and other constructed shelters at a designated tent encampment site in Kelowna, B.C., as temperatures are forecast to reach below –20 C this week.
Following a relatively mild start to winter, the harsh realities of living outside hit people at the encampment along the Okanagan Rail Trail on Tuesday with the arrival of snow, cold temperatures, and wind.
"It's a little bit chilly, but not too bad," said Erica Stewart, who has been at the encampment for more than a year and a half.
"I'm pretty well equipped with my space but I know some people here that are not as well equipped. Their tents cave in in the snow if they are not well supported or put up properly."
WATCH | Kelowna, B.C., tent encampment residents prepare for cold weather:
Multi-room tent structures
Stewart's structure consists of tents and insulated tarps held up by a large beach umbrella. It has an entrance, a living room area with a small couch, and a bedroom that has a bed and a small table.
Stewart uses candles for heat and said she also has a small propane heater she tries to use sparingly when it gets very cold.
Packaged food is stored up high and attached to the slats in the beach umbrella that supports the ceiling of her living room space.
"Just to keep them away from any animals — rodents, mainly — that can get into everything," she said.
Stewart's neighbour, Blake Mercury, has been living at the rail trail encampment for just over a year. He says he has experience sheltering outside in the cold from his time living in Edmonton.
"It is what it is. You kinda have to [use a] mind over matter [approach] to get through it ...You have to get goal oriented to accomplish what absolutely has to happen [to keep warm]," Mercury said.
"All of this [encampment] is people actually taking what resources they have and trying to craft something that is an actual home to protect you from the elements."
Number of people in tent encampment doubles in one year, says official
Stewart and Mercury are among an estimated 220 people living at the tent encampment this winter, according to Darren Caul, the City of Kelowna's community safety director.
That's about twice the number of people who stayed at the encampment last winter, when between 100 and 110 people were there, he said.
The city has an emergency shelter capacity of 273 beds. The vast majority of them have been assigned, leaving only 20 to 25 beds available each night for people living on the streets without a home, Caul said.
"As we get to the temperature of lower than –10 C then we rachet up our response," he said.
City provides warming buses
Environment Canada forecasts temperatures in the Okanagan to drop below –20 C this week — a stark change from the mild conditions the region has experienced this winter.
City staff, RCMP and outreach workers will supply items like blankets, toques, gloves and hand warmers to people living at the encampment, Caul said, adding that police and bylaw officers will also check in on people in their tents during the cold weather.
"People will see warming buses in place ... three warming buses because of the increase in numbers. Those will [be in place] nightly from now until at least Monday and we will continue to monitor the weather," Caul said.
'I lost everything'
As temperatures plunge, the risk of fire increases with some people using propane burners, candles and other sources of heat in their tents and structures.
Just days ago Michael McEwan lost all his possessions when his tent structure caught fire.
"I was down at the other end [of the encampment] and I seen smoke and light and I came running back and this is what I have left," said McEwan, pointing to the burnt-out remains of a tent and a couch, now covered in a blanket of fresh snow.
"I lost everything."
'This is where I feel happier'
In an effort to reduce the number of people living outdoors, Kelowna is building two tiny home villages, each with 60 units. The first village, slated for a plot of city-owned land across the road from the tent encampment, is not expected to be completed until some time in February, according to the city.
Some people at the encampment, like Stewart and Mercury, said they would like more stable housing, but are reluctant to leave a community of people that feels like family.
"Would I like to be in a better situation where I feel safe and I can lock a door and not be in the elements? Of course," Stewart said.
"But this is where I feel happier and this is better for me and I am sort of choosing that, I guess."
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