'Every life has dignity': Ceremony mourns hundreds of unhoused Calgarians who died in 2025

As frigid temperatures gripped Calgary on Friday, a memorial ceremony drew attention to the deadly risks facing unhoused Calgarians during the winter.

The 11th annual Longest Night of the Year memorial honours and mourns people who died while living on the streets in Calgary. This year, at least 284 names will be read aloud at the ceremony, though organizers indicate the number is larger.

“Each person we remember today, each name we read out loud or write down, is a person who mattered and who had a story,” Patricia Jones, president and CEO of Calgary Homeless Foundation, said in a statement.

“This memorial began more than a decade ago to ensure that everyone has a place to grieve the loss of a loved one, friend or family.”

For many of those honoured, the ceremony may be the only commemoration of their life. “That is why we gather, to acknowledge the loss and to affirm that every life has dignity and worth,” Jones said.

The Longest Night of the Year is observed across Canada on or near the winter solstice. The day is also recognized as National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day.

The memorial began Friday afternoon as the wind chill in Calgary dipped well below -20 C, taking place at the city’s permanent Homeless Memorial in the Beltline.

Ward 8 Coun. Nathaniel Schmidt, addressing attendees, emphasized the importance of remembering the humanity of those being mourned.

“These are human beings with families, with friends, with relationships that go beyond where they find themselves in their experience of homelessness,” Schmidt said.

“We must remember that these are human lives that we’re dealing with.”

Bo Masterson, vice-president of stakeholder engagement for the Calgary Homeless Foundation, said planning the memorial involved “a lot thought and a lot of emotion.”

“A day like today, although we wish it to be warmer, is actually a very good reminder for us as Calgarians to take care of each other and . . . be at this event as a community,” she said.

The names of individuals who died while experiencing homelessness were compiled by partner agencies across the city, CHF said. Attendees at the memorial event were invited to write down any additional names of those they lost.

The full list of names will be available following the event at calgaryhomeless.com.

“The pain of loss is profound,” Jones added. “It increases our resolve to work toward a future where homelessness is rare, brief and non-recurring.

“This requires a unified community response, so that when someone experiences homelessness, they are housed quickly and successfully.”

In 2024, 3,121 individuals and heads of households were identified as experiencing homelessness, according the CHF’s point-in-time tracker. The most common cause of housing loss was insufficient income, accounting for 35 per cent of cases.

While the overall rate of homelessness has remained flat in the city since 2022, with two out of every 1,000 Calgarians experiencing homelessness, demand for Extreme Weather Response services has increased.

More than 37,000 day-space visits were recorded last winter, up from 25,515 visits the year before.

The Calgary Homeless Foundation attributes the rise in service use to improved access, increased client trust and stronger service delivery by partner agencies.

Last winter’s response included 20 days with temperatures below -20 C and three days below -28 C.

Masterson said support services are seeing high usage during extreme cold but have been able to accommodate demand.

“Generally, we have a system that is able to support the folks who need it most,” she said.

She noted the city’s extreme weather response relies heavily on donations of essential items such as toques, mitts and hand warmers.

Donations made through the Calgary Homeless Foundation are distributed to more than 20 partner agencies involved in the extreme weather response, she said.

More information about how to make a donation is available on the organization’s website.

Calgary Homeless Foundation encourages anyone who sees someone in distress to call the HELP team at 403-998-7388.

NoBrennan@postmedia.com