'Fentanyl, it’s destroying everybody': Homeless crisis grows in Chilliwack
On the streets of Chilliwack, there are more homeless people than ever before, and some of them are barely teenagers.
“The youngest I saw was just the other day, she was 13,” said Bryn Troman, who works at Ruth & Naomi’s Mission.
“Fortunately, she did just get placement,” Troman explained.
Though numbers from a recent homeless count have not yet been released, it’s estimated there are about 500 unsheltered people in the community. That’s a jump of roughly 60 per cent since 2020.
“We have more seniors accessing our shelter services, we have people who access our shelter services who get up every morning, head off to work, come back here at the end of the day and they live in the shelter so they can have an affordable place to live,” said Scott Gaglardi, the executive director of Ruth & Naomi’s Mission.
Every day, the shelter serves about 380 meals, mostly to people who are homeless, but also those struggling to make ends meet.
“A week ago, we were serving dinner here, a single mom with two twins in her stroller came in and they’re accessing our food program…just to offset their costs,” he explained.
Some people who use services at Ruth & Naomi’s also battle addiction, including William Oickle.
“Fentanyl, it’s destroying everybody,” he said. “I wouldn’t be homeless if I never did fentanyl.”
But he told CTV News that he is attending a program through the Mission to help him beat his addiction.
“Places like this save lives. If it wasn’t for places like this, there’d be a lot more people dying out here,” he said.
Oickle explained that he had been living in a tent before coming to the Mission.
“A lot of nights it got really cold, windy,” he explained.
David Sheldon, who used to be a truck driver, said he also uses opioids and is homeless.
“It robs you of your dignity, that’s for sure,” he said.
Gaglardi said shelter beds are always full and what’s really needed is more affordable housing.
Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon said the province is trying to respond to what he calls a “challenging” situation.
“We have, in fact, in Chilliwack, more units opening up. We had some units that just opened and we have more coming on line. We have partnerships with local first nations to get housing built on reserve as well,” he said.
Oickle, 39, said one of the toughest things about being homeless is the way people look at him when they walk by.
“It makes you feel unwanted and unloved,” he said.
“Everybody in this world deserves empathy and love and kindness,” said Troman.
She said she understands the struggles many clients are facing because of a personal loss.
“I had a foster brother who passed away from an overdose,” she explained.
Troman said a couple nights ago, there were three overdoses at the shelter.
She’s only been working at the Mission a few months, but said she knows her work is making a difference.
“We had a young gentleman overdose and I did CPR on him for 10 minutes and it was exhausting. But seeing that pulse come and watching him take that first breath after doing all those chest compressions was so relieving,” she said.
“Had a good cry after that,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Pearson gold heist suspect arrested after flying into Toronto from India
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
BREAKING Justin and Hailey Bieber are expecting their first child together
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Poilievre-led government 'would never' use notwithstanding clause on abortion, his office says
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Miss Teen USA steps down just days after Miss USA's resignation
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.
BREAKING 1 dead in rollover crash in Sharbot Lake, Ont.; 5 others injured
Ontario Provincial Police confirm one person has died after a single-vehicle rollover crash in Sharbot Lake, Ont. that seriously injured five others.
Cyclist strikes child crossing the street to catch school bus in Montreal
A video circulating on social media of a young girl being hit by a bike has some calling for better safety and more caution when designing bike lanes in the city. The video shows a four-year-old girl crossing Jeanne-Mance Street in Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood to get on a school bus stopped on the opposite side of the street