Shuttle driver offers lifeline for unhoused people seeking shelter in sub-zero B.C. temperatures

Sunrise is still hours away as Upkar Singh Tatlay climbs behind the wheel of a white multi-passenger van and checks the temperature.

It's –10 C in White Rock, B.C., and Tatlay says the proximity of the ocean to the peninsula municipality makes the frigid air feel even colder.

For people exposed to the elements without adequate provisions, the conditions can be life-threatening, which is why Tatlay is on the road before dawn on a bitterly cold Sunday.

Tatlay packs people's belongings into the back of his van before providing transportation for people experiencing homelessness. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

As the executive director of the Engaged Communities Canada Society, he is shuttling community members with no home of their own to a daytime warming centre run by the society in partnership with the City of White Rock.

"There are so many people that need assistance," said Tatlay, who will make multiple trips that morning.

Overnight shelter is available at the South Surrey Recreation Centre, but users have to leave before 6:30 a.m. This is when Tatlay swoops in to shuttle people to the daytime location.

People stay warm under a blanket Monday morning after an extreme weather shelter closes for the morning in Surrey. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

Three unhoused people walk away from an overnight shelter Monday morning in Surrey. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

The centre is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. at 14600 North Bluff Road from the end of November through March. This past week, an Arctic outflow blew into B.C. bringing with it sub-zero conditions and the dire need for such spaces.

Not only is Tatlay giving rides to people anxiously awaiting his arrival at the rec centre, he is also keeping his eyes peeled for anyone in need who has not sought out shelter services.

"People are sleeping in really difficult situations so we are always trying to find out where they are," he said.

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An unhoused woman walks with her belongings to a daytime warming centre in White Rock, B.C., on Monday morning. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

The daytime centre is in a modular building and is funded by the city and public donations. When Tatlay arrives with his first van load Sunday morning, volunteers are already there with croissants and coffee on hand.

Volunteer Maria Jimenez-Perez is helping to plate and serve pastries and hot beverages. Cocoa and chocolate bars are also available.

"A lot of them like things extra sweet, I think maybe because it's so cold out there, the sugar just helps warm you up," said Jimenez-Perez.

People gather at a daytime warming centre inside a trailer in White Rock on Monday. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

Guests can access blankets and warm clothing at a daytime warming centre run by the Engaged Communities Canada Society in White Rock. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

Centre guests can also access mental health and medical resources on site, as well as get their hands on warm clothing and blankets.

Tatlay said guests are a varied group with one thing in common — they have nowhere to call home.

"We see seniors, we see people that have been discharged from the hospital, we see people who are quote unquote renovicted," said Tatlay.

"We also see a lot of folks who actually have really good jobs but they just don't compare to the astronomical rents, cost of living [and] food."

Avi Sidhu, 24, makes pancakes for people at the White Rock daytime warming centre. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

One guest told CBC it took everything he had to survive, let alone stay warm during the harrowing weekend winter weather.

Forecasters are predicting warmer weather in the days to come, but Tatlay knows people are still in immediate danger.

And as the shelter's breakfast crowd settles in to stave off the cold, he braces himself against the elements and heads back out to comb the streets.

Tatlay opens up the daytime warming centre so it is ready for users who will have to vacate a nearby overnight emergency shelter. (Ben Nelms/CBC)