Edmonton about 500 shelter beds short as homeless count doubles in 2 years
CTV
The City of Edmonton is trying to figure out how to make sure everyone is sheltered from the cold this winter, after the number of people experiencing homelessness doubled in just two years.
The City of Edmonton is trying to figure out how to make sure everyone is sheltered from the cold this winter, after the number of people experiencing homelessness doubled in just two years.
A city report released Tuesday found that there are 2,800 people without housing in Edmonton, which is the most since 2014 and twice as many as in 2019.
About 1,600 of those people are considered "preliminarily housed," meaning they are staying with friends and family or temporarily finding space without a secure lease.
Roughly 1,200 overnight shelter beds are needed in Edmonton – but officials found there were only 713 spaces available on Oct. 1 – and more may be lost because of uncertain funding.
"We need immediate support to house people during this winter," Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said.
"When you look outside, it's just terrifying that people could be sleeping on the streets and not have a warm, safe place to go to."
Funding proposals were pending with the province Tuesday which could bring the gap down to about 350 spaces short.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says women's rights and women's progress is under attack, pointing to the recent defeat of U.S. presidential candidate Kamala Harris as an example.
A British Columbia man has been declared a dangerous offender and will spend the rest of his life in prison after he was convicted in the 2015 death and dismemberment of a woman in the Kootenay region.
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The Quebec Education Ministry will formally investigate three Montreal schools for possible religious abuses. Preliminary information points to a toxic climate and behavior that could lead to fears for students' safety, among other things.
The Bank of Canada has dropped its key interest rate by 50 basis points to 3.25 per cent.
Freezing rain has closed schools in parts of New Brunswick Wednesday, while additional weather alerts have been issued ahead of a developing storm that will bring rain and strong winds to the Maritimes Thursday.
Service on TTC’s Line 1 is back after a signal issue Monday morning stopped trains across the entire route, but delays persist during the morning commute.
The final report on the Bearspaw feeder main break is scheduled to be presented to a city committee on Wednesday, along with a price tag on the repairs, which is in the neighbourhood of $35 to $45 million.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says women's rights and women's progress is under attack, pointing to the recent defeat of U.S. presidential candidate Kamala Harris as an example.
The search is on for a suspect in a vicious assault in Calgary's northeast that has left a woman on life support.
Council will vote on the final 2025 City of Ottawa budget on Wednesday and residents can expect to pay more in taxes next year.