Wetaskiwin encampment to get temporary warming shelters amid demands for permanent housing
Global News
Help is on the way for people living at a Wetaskiwin encampment. It is meant to keep them warm as the cold weather hit, but what's being offered doesn't cut it for some.
It’s only a matter of time before winter weather sets in at a Wetaskiwin encampment.
“It’s difficult. Out here, there are no trees, no nothing that we could bare off of,” said Tammy Rowan, who is living at the camp.
For several months, Rowan and about a dozen others have been living behind a big box store.
While living conditions have been rough, it is what’s coming that most fear.
“I’m scared to lose limbs too because that’s how we lose them is the freezing,” Rowan said.
With time running out, the City of Wetaskiwin has been busy working on temporary accommodations for the winter months starting near the end of November.
Mayor Tyler Gandam said a $150,000 federal grant plus $35,000 from the city and possible support from the province will fund temporary shelter services at the site, which is owned by the city.
“The solution for the winter is to set up warming shelters. We need a warm place for people to sleep, and that’s been our priority,” Gandam said.