A resident of Kelowna's Rail Trail encampment huddles around a warm cup of tea during -20 degree weather.

(GEORGINA WHITEHOUSE / iNFOnews.ca)

As temperatures plummeted across the Okanagan, Kelowna’s homeless community were doing the best they can to stay warm.

A horizon of tents line Kelowna’s rail trail, housing more than 145 of the city’s residents.

This community is made up of people from all walks of life, Troy McKnight, Director of Resource Development for Kelowna Gospel Mission, told iNFOnews.ca as he worked with his outreach team handing out breakfast packages. However, the past year has seen drastic growth in some groups.

“We're seeing an overrepresentation of seniors, particularly senior women who are finding themselves experiencing homelessness for the first time,” he said. “Certainly, the cost of housing is a real challenge for people, especially seniors who are on fixed incomes.”

As Kelowna’s unhoused population continues to grow year by year, shelters are at full capacity, and many are left to fend off the cold as best they can.

Along the trail, the burned remnant of a tent and one resident's belongings sit in a discarded black pile between other the other residents' tents.

Burnt remnants of a tent at Kelowna's Rail Trail encampment.

(GEORGINA WHITEHOUSE / iNFOnews.ca)

“(Fire) is always a risk,” McKnight said. “When it gets cold like this, people are desperately trying to stay warm and survive. And so, certainly, within a tent or a homemade shelter, it absolutely is a risk. And it's devastating. I hate to see it.”

Despite the gloomy conditions, there has been an outpouring of support from the local community.

“We've watched the community come together in a really beautiful way,” McKnight said.

One man living on the Rail Trail told iNFOnews.ca that two young locals had set up a barbeque and were handing out free hot food to the residents.

Currently, the city is operating three warming buses along the trails as a way of offering residents a reprieve from the cold.

Buses have so far been open from 8 p.m. until 8 a.m. however, as temperatures remain low over the weekend, the buses will run continuously for a 48 hour period.

Each bus has 60 available seats yet have only been filled to 60% capacity according to city counts. 

As well as the buses, the city continues to hand out warming supplies and thermal shelters.

“We are concerned about the risk of fires at encampments,” Darren Caul, Community Safety Director at the City of Kelowna, told iNFOnews.ca. “And for this reason, Bylaw Services and the Kelowna Fire Department has for many, many weeks now been providing education to those who are sheltering at the designated overnight sheltering site about those risks.”

Kelowna Gospel Mission is also working daily to provide essential supplies to the unhoused community. 

“The day is very challenging for our unhoused community, which is why our outreach team is down here,” McKnight said. “We come down, we provide tents and sleeping bags, heavy clothing, hot food. But really, it's a very challenging time for folks who are unhoused in the community today… because of this cold snap, we are running low on hand warmers, gloves and sleeping bags in particular.”

Donations can be made to the organization’s shelter at 259 b on Leon Avenue or at its thrift store on Roxby Road in Rutland.

Rows of tents line the Rail Trail during deadly freezing temperatures.

(GEORGINA WHITEHOUSE / iNFOnews.ca)

More information about Kelowna Gospel Mission can be found on their website here.

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