Frigid temperatures affecting Sudbury's vulnerable population

Environment Canada's extreme cold warnings continued to be in effect in northeastern Ontario and across the province.

But for many social workers and volunteers, like Heather Chapman, staying inside simply isn't a choice.

Chapman is a student at Laurentian University and volunteers as a delivery driver for Meals on Wheels in Sudbury.

She says these sub-zero temperatures can expose some disturbing facts.

"When you're going into people's homes and the driveway isn't shoveled at all, or you're trying to open the door and it's frozen shut, it's shocking because you realize that maybe nobody's been there since the last time you were there," Chapman said.

"Some people may see a volunteer, and that will be the only person they see in a whole day."

Chapman says if there's concern for a client's well-being, volunteers are trained to inform their supervisors or to call 911, depending on the situation.

She adds that the contact with lonely residents can also be positive and uplifting.

"You have clients who just can't cook very well or have dementia or issues where they can't remember to feed themselves; in those times you can have a really good, fun conversation," she said.

"That's really rewarding."

No comparison to last winter

In order for the Elgin Street Mission in Sudbury to be declared a city-run emergency shelter, the temperature needs to drop to 15 C or a windchill of 20 C.

Cheryl Perreault is the facility's administrator. She says December saw a sharp increase in those extreme cold alerts.

"[In 2016], we only had one in the month of December," she said.

"[In 2017],we had 18."

Perreault says the mission has so far been able to meet the demand.

"We have people that are hired just to do the cold alerts, so it's just about making sure the schedule is kept up and everybody is on board," she explained.

She adds the emergency shelter accommodates up to eight people on winter's coldest nights.