Volunteers purchase ice-fishing shelters for people without homes in Halifax

Volunteer groups have purchased ice-fishing shelters to help homeless people brave the cold, wet weather in Halifax, which received its first significant snowfall of the season overnight Sunday.

Stephen Wilsack, who is a volunteer at the encampment across from Halifax City Hall, says he bought 10 tents himself and was reimbursed by “Good Samaritans,” and that 10 others were donated.

Mike Baker, who is living in one of 14 tents erected so far, says the Eskimo QuickFish units stay drier during heavy precipitation compared to the summer tent he was using, which collapsed in a recent windstorm.

The 29-year-old says he prefers tents to indoor shelters, where he is only admitted late at night and fears people will steal his anti-seizure drugs.

Baker says he’s hoping to move to an apartment in a few weeks, but says that in the meantime the donated fishing tent will be his home.

Halifax spokesman Ryan Nearing says the downtown encampment has been authorized by the city, which wants no more than eight tents at the site.

The city said late last month “there was no way” it could continue to authorize the site for tents because of the risks posed by snow-clearing operations, but Halifax has not issued a deadline for people to leave.

Saltwire reported last week that a man had died while sheltering in a tent in Dartmouth. When CBC News emailed an inquiry about the death in a tent, Halifax Regional Police confirmed the death but doesn’t consider it suspicious.

One of Kassandra Schofield’s close friends knew the man.

“It needs to be spoken about. It’s not fair, it’s not right. People are clearly dying and this is not going to stop if they don’t get the help they need,” Schofield told Radio-Canada during an interview in Dartmouth over the weekend.

Homeless population at Halifax City Hall given ice-fishing huts

As Paul Palmeter reports, volunteers donated the huts in hopes they’ll provide more protection against the winter elements.