| Sam Marshall, 32, says he’s not afraid of freezing to death while sleeping on the streets of Calgary this winter.
Marshall, who has been homeless for 17 years, says he’s spent many nights sleeping outside on frigid winter nights because he dislikes going to shelters.
"I don’t like going to the Drop-In Centre. I hate it there," says Marshall. "I’ve lived a lot longer than a lot of homeless. I’m not afraid of death."
Marshall is part of a hardcore group of Calgary homeless who don’t go inside even when temperatures drop to —30 or —40 C – a practice with dangers that were explicitly highlighted on January 4 when a 42-year-old man was found laying on the ground near Sandy Beach suffering from severe hypothermia. EMS spokesperson Mike Plato says the man is believed to be homeless and was likely intoxicated. EMS officials who responded believe that the man might lose some toes or even a foot, says Plato. The man’s current health status hasn’t been made public.
"Generally every winter we see two or three cases of people with severe hypothermia who lose fingers and toes," says Plato.
Calgary homeless shelters have a policy of not turning anyone away when it gets below —10 C, says Debbie Newman, director of program services at the Calgary Drop-In Centre.
However, Newman says there are still some people who refuse to come into shelters. Newman says it could be an issue of pride, wanting to avoid outstanding arrest warrants or mental illness.
Scott Calling Last, an outreach worker with the Calgary Urban Projects Society, combs the streets every day looking for people who won’t come in from the cold.
Calling Last says it’s not uncommon to come across people without a jacket or gloves or to find homeless people passed out, even in extremely cold weather.
Even when some homeless people are offered a ride to a shelter, they refuse, he says.
"They say they’re cozy," says Calling Last. "There’s a lot of guys who have too much pride… a lot of people on the street have mental health problems and are afraid to go to shelters."
Calling Last says if homeless people refuse to be taken to a shelter he can’t force them to do so.
Marshall remembers sleeping outside one night with his uncle when it was —35 C. A big orange tarp and some sleeping bags were their only protection from the elements. He says he usually tries to find a hot air vent to sleep next to but security guards or police often tell him to move on.
Marshall has had many friends who have suffered serious frostbite. He has gotten pneumonia from too many nights out in the cold.
"Most people try to get inside but you’ve got your element that says, ‘Screw it.’ They don’t want to go to a shelter because they’re independent," says Marshall. "They just don’t like the whole idea of standing in line and conforming to other peoples’ rules."
He says there will always be people who choose to sleep outside unless they have an option other than a homeless shelter.
"Until there’s low-cost housing you’re always going to have people dying or unfortunately this guy who’s going to lose his toes," says Marshall. |
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