Volunteers voice concerns around access to Regina's warming bus

Volunteers who have been providing food and hot chocolate to people on Regina’s warming bus were surprised to be turned away.

“So last night we had some volunteers go to the bus bringing food, snacks, stuff like that and they were denied access to the bus,” volunteer Ian Betz-Wood told CTV News.

In a written statement, the City of Regina claimed “appropriate measures are in place to protect the health and safety of those using and operating the warming bus.”

Regardless, Wood is still concerned about those depend on the warming bus and their safety going forward.

“They have to eat it outside in the cold and if your hands are already frozen, if you’re already cold and you have to choose between being hot and having something to eat, you might only have that 20, 30 minutes while someone’s here before the food’s gone,” Wood explained.

A sign on the bus says people should take donations to the Awasis indoor warming centre on 5th Avenue, one of the locations to which the bus travels during the night.

“I just found out through the post last night that food donations were being directed here, not just the bus being stopped here so we have no issues with taking in those food donations. The bus has been stopping here since Wednesday night,” Melanie Kingston, director of community health at the Awasis Centre explained.

Those who have travelled on the bus, like Travis Poitras-Kay, have said the food was appreciated.

“Two days before Christmas I got back here into Regina and it just happened to be the bus downtown and the first I’ve ever seen of it and I was totally blessed,” he said.

Others who depend on the bus, like Albert Brabant, believe the new system will work.

“As long as people get fed somewhere,” Brabant told CTV News.

The volunteers who were denied access say they will now coordinate their efforts with the Awasis indoor warming centre to continue providing food to those seeking shelter on the transit bus.