75-year-old man lives in shed as demand for shelter this winter surges in Barrie

The harsh reality of homelessness is unmistakable in Barrie as makeshift shelters and encampments pop up across the city for those with no place to call home as winter temperatures start to plummet.

Rick, a Barrie senior, has been living in a wooden shed near Lackie's Bush in the south end of the city and despite his circumstances, he said he's just used to it.

"I'm an old man. I'm 75 years old, and I love it outside," Rick said, admitting he's been living outdoors for the past two years.

• Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
• Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox

Local shelters have been running at near capacity this winter, and with the frigid cold temperatures expected in the coming days, space will quickly be limited.

"We always brace for January and February because we know that those are the really harsh months," said Sarah Peddle, the executive director of the Busby Centre.

The Busby Centre has 55 beds, and the County shelter on Rose Street has another 40 beds. Both are operated by Busby staff.

"We anticipate that more people are going to need to come inside, and our outreach teams are still seeing about 30 or 40 people out in encampments, so we know there is still quite a few people we need to get in for the winter," noted Peddle.

A homeless encampment in the City of Barrie, Ont., on Wed., Jan. 3, 2024. (CTV News/Rob Cooper)

Peddle has worked with the homeless community for years and said they are noticing many familiar faces this season, along with several new ones. With extreme cold in the forecast, it could turn into a challenging winter.

"We're seeing people from other areas too because there's no capacity or services, so we need to make sure we're all concentrating on housing outcomes for people and building more housing so we don't have to keep seeing new faces in homelessness," said Peddle.

Star Noganosh is living in a tent this winter.

"We have blankets, we have tarps, we have a tent and just each other, myself and my boyfriend, and that's all I have, so there needs to be more done," said Noganosh.

The Busby Centre is open at 7 p.m. daily and is often used as a warming centre during the day.

Those in need can also seek warmth at the Gilbert Centre in Barrie during daylight hours.

Meanwhile, Peddle said the Busby Centre is always in need of volunteers.