EDITORIAL

Outside in the cold

by Will Nicholls

Cree culture has always been about sharing and taking care of each other. Sometimes we forget other peoples have the same values as what we see doesn’t always show that. It seems there is a difference between community and political actions to help those less fortunate.

At first, Quebec Premier François Legault repeatedly maintained that homeless people wouldn’t be exempt from Quebec’s 8 pm-to-5 am curfew. We should thank Quebec Superior Court Judge Chantal Masse for overturning that political judgment. It was too late, though, for Raphaël André, an Innu homeless man, who froze to death in a chemical toilet January 17.

The Native Women’s Shelter, which runs Resilience Montreal, wanted to create a warming tent in Cabot Square. Even though the homeless don’t now have to worry about being ticketed, Nakuset, the shelter’s executive director, said they still need a place to get warm in the cold nights.

Nakuset hoped the warming tent would be approved and it was. At the time, Montreal temperatures are forecasted to drop.

“There’s nowhere to go in this area, especially on the weekends, to keep warm. Even at Resilience, because of the Covid outbreak, our services are limited. They can come in and get something to eat, but they have to leave. So, the idea of a warming tent is really important because the people in this area are cold all the time,” Nakuset said.

Then Kahnawake’s Host Hotel pledged $25,000. “We’re bringing in generators and gas and donations for the tent,” said Mary Goodleaf, one of the owners. “Hopefully, it gives people a warm place to rest their head for the next few weeks and maybe by luck, somebody else will want to contribute.”

About $100,000 has been raised to pay for supplies, and rooms and salaries for workers.

A family member said it’s worth doing “if it saves one person’s life or helps out someone in a small or huge way.”

Nakuset praised Kahnawake, saying there has been an outpouring of support from the community, including people donating knitted socks.

The city of Montreal offered to pay for rental costs, but initially said the tent had to be taken down after only two weeks – in mid-February, one of the coldest months of the year – leaving many to wonder why the homeless would once again be left out in the cold.

But Nakuset was hoping that people would pressure the city to grant an extension. And that is exactly what happened. It will stay up until April.

For those willing to help, go to the Native Women’s Shelter website or see the GoFundMe section of Resilience Montreal. The warming tent is for everyone and was created by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. Being homeless doesn’t recognize race. Let’s help those left outside in the cold. It’s the human thing to do.

Photos provided by the Native Women’s shelter

Warming tent in Cabot Square

the Nation is published every two weeks by Beesum Communications EDITORIAL BOARD L. Stewart, W. Nicholls, M. Siberok, Mr. N. Diamond, E. Webb EDITOR IN CHIEF Will Nicholls DIRECTOR OF FINANCES Linda Ludwick EDITORS Lyle Stewart, Martin Siberok PRODUCTION COORDINATOR AND MANAGING EDITOR Randy Mayer CONTRIBUTING WRITERS M. Labrecque-Saganash, S. Orr, P. Quinn, B. Powless DESIGN Matthew Dessner SALES AND ADVERTISING Danielle Valade, Donna Malthouse

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