The night supervisor at the women’s overnight warming shelter on Wall Street in Saskatoon says there are people sleeping outside the shelter and while staff does take them hot drinks, hot soup, sandwiches and blankets, that’s about all they can do.

Natasha Parenteau says the men were moved to St. Mary’s Parish once it opened and the Saskatoon Indian and Metis Friendship Centre is now for women only, for their safety.

She explains why some are staying outside, “We have couples that are having to be split up that are not, they’re not wanting to separate from their partners, so we have them sleeping outside or the women in here and the men waiting outside because they don’t want to leave them.”

And while couples could stay at the Emergency Wellness Shelter run by the Saskatoon Tribal Council, Parenteau says that too is difficult.

“For a lot of these people that walk around or can’t find rides, that’s all the way in Fairhaven. How do these people get up there? Or even to reserve…you need to book you need to call ahead, it’s on a first come, first serve, and there’s a long waiting list.”

Mayor Cynthia Block says she knows the emergency shelters in the city do have an opportunity for couples to stay together but that is not the case for the temporary warming shelters and that may be a gap that they need to look at.