Two days before Christmas and with the arrival of bitter cold, many homeless people braved the cold in the streets of Montreal Monday evening. Some were directed to shelters, were helped by good Samaritans or planned to sleep outside.
Published at 5:00 a.m.
A heat stop was notably installed in a UQAM pavilion. With funding of more than $375,000, Quebec ensures that it will be able to remain in place during periods when it is -15°C, until 2027. During the last days, the 50 places in the resource were all occupied.
400 meters away, at Place Émilie-Gamelin, several people were preparing to spend the night outside, including Iftakar Rahmatan.
PHOTO CHARLES WILLIAM PELLETIER, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Iftakar Rahmatan was preparing to spend the night outside when The Press met him.
“I’ve been sleeping in the street for two nights,” he tells us, freezing, without gloves or hat. When he was told that the temperature felt would drop below -20 over the next few days, he held his head in both hands. “It’s terrible,” he reacts. I'm really scared. »
Just as he is saddened, a voice resonates in the distance. “Would you like some good coffee to warm you up?” », we ask. Hearing the question, heads turn.
They are volunteers from a church in Pointe-aux-Trembles, who came to bring coffee, food and clothing to those in need.
“We receive more than we give. Their joy fills us, assures one of the volunteers, Mariluz Jinete. They remind us that we are lucky to have a home, a coat, lots of things that others don't have. »
PHOTO CHARLES WILLIAM PELLETIER, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Volunteers came to distribute coffee, food and clothing.
These volunteers provide resources to the homeless frequently and have done so for years. They notice that more and more people have to sleep on the streets during the winter. “I have two pairs of pants, three pairs of stockings and a big coat, and I’m cold. Imagine those who have to spend the night outside,” recalls one of the volunteers, Susana Artega.
In fact, it will be even colder in the coming days. The mercury will notably drop to -19°C on Christmas morning.
In view of this cold snap, and given the increase in homelessness, the City of Montreal has added 150 places, distributed in three heat centers, all located in the Ville-Marie borough.
At their maximum capacity
In the city center, a heat stop is located in the YMCA premises. The Montreal Emergency Measures Coordination Center (CCMU) has increased its reception capacity, given the increasing cold. On December 21 and 22, 49 people spent the night there. This figure rose to 70 the following day.
During the passage of The Pressemployees on site feared having to refuse access to some applicants.
The third hot stop recently added by the City is less popular. It is located at the back of the Lucien-Saulnier building, a stone's throw from city hall, and the homeless are invited to sleep there on chairs, or to enjoy snacks. There is one room reserved for men and the other for women. Since the opening of the resource, around 12 people have spent the night there, despite a capacity of 30 places.
PHOTO CHARLES WILLIAM PELLETIER, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
A man stands in front of the heat station at the back of the Lucien-Saulnier building.
“Customership has been growing since its opening and it will become more and more well-known as the winter goes on,” assures Mayor Valérie Plante’s press secretary, Catherine Cadotte.
In front of the Lucien-Saulnier building, two individuals were looking for a stop when the The Press. Many of them were unable to spot it, as it is located at the rear of the building, with no signage to announce it.
“We told two of our friends to join us here, and they are not here, even if they left before us,” tells us a man who will benefit from the resource, Éric. “I guess they never found the place.” »
Éric and his friend were forced to spend the last two nights outside, as the accommodation resources at Accueil Bonneau and Maison du Père were at maximum capacity. “It often happens that we get kicked out. We came here to have a little break », explains Éric, on the street for the last 16 months. “When we sleep outside, we put six or seven people together and try to find a place where the police won't see us. »
We often get thrown out. We no longer know where to go.
Eric, experiencing homelessness
Eric will not go to visit his family members for Christmas. “In my situation, do I really want to see them? No. If someone asks me how things are going, I'll say things are going well, but everyone knows that's not true. I would rather stay on my own than cause them pain. I don't need this right now. »
At the beginning of December, the Quebec government declared that it had taken 1,000 people out of homelessness in the last year out of the 10,000 homeless people in the province. This count, which takes place on a single evening in several cities in Quebec, was done for the last time in 2022. A new count is planned for January 2025.
With the collaboration of Chloé Bourquin, The Press
