Candlelight vigil to be held in Regina to remember those who died homeless

The second annual memorial for homelessness will be held in Regina on Tuesday evening. 

A candlelight vigil will be held at 6 p.m. CST at Victoria Park, intended to honour those who have lost their lives while homeless.

"A lot of these situations with these [cases] have to do with mental illness or addictions," said Kenton Weisgerber. "So, when these individuals go through this situation ... they just want to survive."

Weisgerber was homeless himself at one point, unemployed and struggling with addiction.

Two of the most difficult things about that period of his life were finding an affordable place to live and employment.

Those issues were made worse when combined with his depression, addiction and substance abuse.

He referred to himself as "invisible homeless," meaning he was couch surfing, or sleeping on someone's floor.

"I would walk around the park. There were days I walked seven times around Wascana and it was just because I was filling time," he said.

Weisgerber said there wasn't a lot to do while waiting for a call back from a potential employer.

He has been clean for about two years and is now working as a peer support specialist for Phoenix Homes. 

The memorial is organized by Phoenix Homes and Street Culture Project.

"This is a way for us to remember them and honour them," Weisgerber said, adding there is a memorial wall at Phoenix Homes.

"It's good to see their faces from time to time and not forget them."