Shelter operations normal, despite weekend storm

Apr 29, 2019 | 10:36 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – This past weekend, southern Alberta was hit hard with rain, snow and high winds.

One would think that in Lethbridge that would result in an uptick in numbers at the local Lethbridge Shelter and Resource Centre. However, that wasn’t exactly the case, according to the shelter’s manager, Collette Ryostock.

“I had the opportunity this morning (April 29) to look at what the occupancy was over the weekend and I was surprised that, although there were more people kind of mingling around the shelter, our numbers didn’t really change,” Ryostock said.

The forecast isn’t calling for any more local storms in the foreseeable future, and since February’s cold snap, occupancy at the shelter hasn’t been too high.

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“We’ve seen a significant drop in our numbers,” Ryostock added.

In February, Ryostock told Lethbridge News Now that their occupancy numbers were in the high 80’s.

READ MORE: Lethbridge shelter hosts high number of visitors in wake of cold weather

In extreme cases, the shelter has opened a second facility through its partnership with the Sik-Ooh-Kotok Friendship Society.

“We were definitely up in those numbers during the colder months but now, we’re seeing a nice drop so we’re more in the 60’s,” Ryostock said.

When the weather is nicer, she said occupancy usually sticks around that figure most nights.

“During the day, clients aren’t really hanging around, but it (occupancy) still stays the same, in the evenings we still have the same clientele that come in for a place to sleep.”

The Lethbridge Shelter and Resource Centre is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

by Justin Goulet

Shelter operations normal, despite weekend storm

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