Over 100 people take part in Saskatoon’s Coldest Night of the Year

Coldest Night of the Year Walk brings together community members looking to support people experiencing homelessness and hardship.

The frigid temperatures across Saskatchewan can pose a number of dangers to the province’s population, especially those who are unhoused.

“When you see someone who is on the street, they are survivors of incredible elements. This is a life and death sort of situation here in Saskatoon,” Krista-Dawn Kimsey, a community engagement specialist with The Mustard Seed said.

“And so it’s incredibly important for us to just get a little bit of a taste of that so that we keep it top of mind that the next time, maybe tomorrow or the next week or the month after, when we see someone who is suffering and is trying to survive in the cold, we interact with them with greater empathy and compassion and mercy.”

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The Coldest Night of the Year Walk brought together community members looking to support people experiencing homelessness and hardship. This was the first year in which The Mustard Seed hosted the event.

“We’re thrilled that so many people here are willing to step out of the comfort and warmth of their own home and just take a moment of solidarity for those who don’t have a choice and who will not be finding shelter today,” Kimsey said.

Over 100 community members showed up to walk. Many came along with family, coworkers, or friends to walk either two or five kilometers in support of the cause.

“The numbers keep rolling with every minute, but we have 129 walkers that have participated. We’ve had 52 people show up to volunteer for this event, and we have exceeded already two benchmarks,” Kimsey said.

The event has raised over $30,000, which surpasses both the initial goal of $20,000 and the updated goal of $25,000.

While the fundraiser is a national campaign, with many similar events hosted across Canada, the funds raised stay local in Saskatoon to help provide food, shelter and various other resources to those who are unhoused in the community.

“Homelessness is extremely important to the residents of Saskatoon, and the community has shown up, come out in full force to say that we don’t want this to be happening in our city anymore,” Kimsey said.