Helping Montreal’s homeless community during heat wave

Living outside in plus 30 degree temperatures is the reality for many in the homeless community in the summer. Amid a heat wave, like the one Montreal is in right now, the challenges of being homeless get even more difficult. 

To help this vulnerable population, Resilience Montreal is doing what they can with their limited resources.

David Chapman, the executive director of this organization that supports the homeless in the Cabot Square area, says his organization is offering, “water, showers, freezies, air conditioned indoors, shade and just checking in with people, finding out what they need, where they’re at. You know, what we can do.”

According to Environment Canada, it was already 26 degrees in Montreal by 10am Thursday morning, but feeling like 30 with the humidex. 

To avoid the direct sunlight before noon, Resilience Montreal client Sidney Lemay sought shade in an outdoor courtyard area within Resilience Montreal’s property that is located on the corner of Saint-Catherine street West and Atwater avenue.

“You have to drink a lot of water and try to stay out of the sun, because if you get too much sun there watch out,” said Lemay, adding, “you could be, I don’t know, sun burn.”

Resilience Montreal’s clients can often be found across the street from its location at Cabot Square. With the high temperatures, intervention workers have to keep an eye out for those with addiction issues.

“Especially when they’re under the influence, you know, they don’t realize that, oh, yeah, the heat is, you know, it’s just too hot because they don’t they don’t feel it. They don’t realize it. But we try to keep them in a safe place,” said Maggie Chittspattio, an intervention worker for Resilience Montreal.

By 1pm, the temperature had reached 31 degrees, 36 on the humidex. Throughout the day, Resilience Montreal handed out refreshments and food in the air conditioned building to its clients.

However, the group says they could use more resources to help the homeless keep cool during heat waves such as receiving more bottled water and a van to deliver food and beverages.

The building also has a shower for those wanting to escape the heat, but it is in high demand on hot days like today.

“We only have one shower. Okay, one shower. And there’s constantly people coming in to stay warm and to stay cold. It’d be nice to have more than one shower,” suggests Chittspattio.

Around 4pm, the temperature reaches 34 degrees, 35 on the humidex.

Resilience Montreal would also like to remind the public that the best way for the homeless to deal with the extreme temperatures is to find them permanent homes which remains a challenge. As well, they would like the public to be mindful of the homeless population and what they have to go though when temperatures soar.

“It’s a good day to think about folks who, you know, don’t enjoy the beauty of air conditioned space continually and, you know, are sleeping under bridges or in other places where they are more, you know, open to the elements,” adds Chapman.