Coldest Night of the Year participants - LNN

By Dori Modney and Photo-journalist Brandyn Montgomery

9th annual Coldest Night of the Year walk raises over $46,000

Feb 23, 2020 | 8:22 PM

LETHBRIDGE — “Poverty is real and it’s right here and everyone has to have a part of the plan to make it better. Poverty is always going to be here, but we can certainly help limit the amount of impact it’s having on this beautiful community” – Marie McLennan, Director of Fund Development for Streets Alive Mission

While it wasn’t “officially” the coldest night of the year in Lethbridge on Saturday (FEB 22) evening, The Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY) event provided the impact of what it must be like, because Lethbridge’s wind was still biting cold. Those who attended could imagine how bad it could be for the homeless, when the temperature dropped below zero and the wind is howling – especially those on the street who aren’t dressed warm.

“The warmest coats we can give hem will only keep them warm for a few hours, but after that, the chill sets in and they become bone-wrenchingly cold,” said McLennan, “It’s important to do events like this to make sure people are fed, making sure people have clothes and making sure the essential programs at the mission have their needs met”.

Saturday’s event was the 9th year for CNOY in Lethbridge and the 30th Anniversary for Streets Alive Mission serving this community.

Nighttime construction on Hwy 3 in Lethbridge starts April 17

Apr 17, 2025

SASHA launches #BuyABed fundraiser to support vulnerable Lethbridge residents

Apr 04, 2025

$20K grants available: TELUS STORYHIVE Pan-Asian Edition opens applications April 1

Mar 18, 2025

The CNOY was held at the E-Free Church on Highway-4. There were 150 walkers on 23 teams, including staff and friends of Streets Alive Mission from E-Free Church, AHS South Zone, RBC Royal Bank, St Augustine’s Church, Bridge City Chrysler and the Coaldale Mennonite Church.

Across Canada, there were 16,950 walkers signed up, on 3,291 teams, with 44,157 donors and 4,970 volunteers helping at 144 locations.

McLennan notes that providing warm clothes is not the only service provided by Streets Alive.

“There is a Trustee Program, which allows us to become the financial guardians for those who may not have the ability to look after their own funds. We can help with homelessness that way, as we can make sure their rent gets paid first.”

“We have a feeding program that we’ve partnered with the Soup Kitchen and we feed over 100 people six nights a week and then we have a soup and sandwich meal at the Mission on Sunday, after church. “People need to be fed – we used to serve sandwiches to about 30 people a night three to four years ago when the sandwich bus was in existence, but we now feed 100 to 150 people a night at the soup kitchen – there’s people going hungry in Lethbridge and our city needs to know that.”

McClennan encourages anyone who is interested in Streets Alive and the work they do to call her at 403.942.5644.

Donations for the Coldest Night of the Year can still be made for he next two weeks. Donations are taken online at https://cnoy.org/location/lethbridge

Walkers take part in Coldest Night of the Year — LNN