As a bitter cold snap grips Saskatchewan, some homeless shelters are allowing walk-ins during the day.
The Salvation Army Waterston Centre in Regina doesn’t usually allow people who aren’t residents inside in the daytime.
But extreme cold temperatures this week have prompted the shelter to give people who would otherwise be on the streets a place to warm up.
The centre has just over 100 beds and serves meals to all residents. It is equipped with extra mats for overflow and with recent extreme cold temperatures it's expected they'll be put to use.
Peter Quewezance says there aren’t many other options for people like him who are seeking refuge from the frigid cold during the day.
“The other options would be to go and hang around in a mall or someplace that’s open; Tim Hortons,” Quewezance said.
“But even those places are limited because they have security in them and they kick you out during the day.”
Extreme cold warnings are in effect for a broad swath of Saskatchewan as a frigid Arctic air mass settles over the Prairies.
Environment Canada says cold temperatures combined with brisk northwest winds are producing wind chills of -40 C to -45 C across southern Saskatchewan.
The extreme wind chills are expected to persist through the overnight hours Sunday.
Lighter winds are forecast for Monday, but temperatures are expected to remain well below normal.
With a report from CTV Regina’s Kaitlyn Van De Woestyne
