A man named Bob Allen passed away a year ago in downtown St. Catharines, Ont., due to hypothermia during -8 C temperatures. Allen, who was homeless at the time, died on Jan. 26, 2025. Friends, family, and the support group Niagara Advocates with Lived/Living Experience (NALE) held a vigil recently to honor him and others who faced similar fates in the cold.
The vigil coincided with a Niagara Region council meeting in Thorold, Ont., where a local councilor proposed expanding winter support for the homeless and adjusting the temperature threshold for activating the region’s winter emergency protocol. Allen’s sister Elizabeth Allen traveled from Temiskaming Shores, Ont., to attend the vigil and support the motion at the meeting.
Councilor Haley Bateman suggested lowering the temperature threshold from -10 C to 0 C to trigger the emergency protocol, which had already been reduced from -15 C earlier in the season. When activated, the protocol notifies shelters, outreach teams, transit services, and other agencies to provide support to the unhoused and increase available beds.
However, Bateman and others believe that -10 C is still too cold and that Allen’s death could have been prevented with a lower threshold. Community psychology professor Scott Neufeld criticized the current temperature marker as arbitrary and not reflective of the actual risks faced by homeless individuals.
The motion to change the winter protocol was deferred to a public health meeting on Feb. 10. It aims to enhance outreach efforts for locating unhoused individuals during cold alerts and treat them as missing persons if necessary. This initiative is crucial for protecting vulnerable individuals who may not be accessing shelters.
The proposal also addresses concerns raised by Councilor Laura Ip about the resources needed to support such a system. The impact of homelessness during winter extends to local health services, with hospitals experiencing increased visits from homeless individuals due to the lack of shelter space. Cold weather exacerbates health issues for those living outdoors or in unstable housing.
The ongoing debate highlights the need for proactive measures to address homelessness and protect vulnerable individuals during extreme weather conditions.