'I don't really sleep': Surviving a freezing B.C. winter when you have no home
Blow dryers and blankets are some of the things people use to stay warm
Kelowna and Prince George are just a few of the many cities across British Columbia that are struggling with increasing homelessness.
Earlier this week in Kelowna, the city shut down a growing tent city on a downtown street and opened up two parks where people can camp at night. The city's shelters are full and a winter shelter location still hasn't been identified.
Meanwhile, in Prince George some say they have to line up early in the day to be able to secure a shelter spot.
With temperatures expected to continue to drop well below freezing, this is what some people are doing to survive the sub-zero temperatures while living without a home.
Friends Leonard Willard and Star Quaw try to look after each other in Prince George. They say it's tough to get spots in a shelter. "It's hard to sleep in the cold," said Quaw.
"I don't really sleep. I sleep maybe once a week," added Willard.
When they can't get a spot inside, they cover up with a tarp and try to find somewhere to plug in a hair-dryer they have.
"It warms you up," said Willard.
Jolene Hansen — who is from Fort St. James and now lives in Prince George — has survived two decades of homelessness.
"There used to be a spot behind the City Hall where the heat used to come out. That was one of the spots I used to sleep at night. I stayed there one whole winter. They shut it off now," said Hansen.
Trevor Charles, who was homeless for four years in Prince George, would line up early to get into a shelter.
"If you're not there right at the right time to get a bed, you're probably going to sleep outside for the night," he said.
"If you're the 15th guy or 14th guy, you're probably not going to get a bed."
Gina Thomson, sleeps in a tent in a Kelowna park designated for people who don't have shelter during the night. She said being in an open park instead of on a downtown street means the cold wind off Okanagan Lake isn't blocked by buildings.
Thomson said she wears about five layers of clothing to stay warm and has a bag filled with blankets.
With files from Brady Strachan, Daybreak South and Daybreak North