Terry Kruger
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Apr 05/00) - Fresh out of the shower, in his "town clothes", 24-year-old Roger was ready for his last few hours at Yellowknife's Home for the Homeless shelter.

The former resident of Deline was one of seven men who had to be out of the home by 2 p.m. Friday, March 31, a deadline imposed by the residence's funding authorities. Like many of the others, he had come to call the residence home.

Like the others, Roger didn't meet the requirements established for the shelter, even though he was one of two residents enroled in courses trying to upgrade his education. Only one man, one of the original residents who were among the city's long-term "hard to house" population, was allowed to remain.

Roger, who has lived in Yellowknife for two years, found the residence a haven.

"You get a good night's rest, eat and shower," he explained. "All these people here are like one big family."

The members of that family, however, were preparing to go their own ways. Roger had his meagre belongings packed into a shoulder bag and a plastic garbage bag.

With the order to leave the residence and nowhere to turn, Roger looked to home supervisor Ernie Glowach for salvation.

"They don't want to stay at the Salvation Army," said Glowach.

Seeing a need, Glowach had an answer -- a bush camp about 24 kilometres west of the city. He had helped put together a society with hopes of turning the site into just such a shelter, but that agency didn't want to take on the job.

Undaunted, Glowach went ahead with his plan and on the weekend, had hoped to turn the three tents into home for six men.

Rustic conditions

Glowach has lived at the site for some time, giving up his room in a city hotel in favour of the life on the land where plywood walls and a tarpaulin-covered roof were all that separated him from the harsh winter. There's no running water and the only toilet facilities are two outhouses located at either end of the camp. Scattered around the site are a couple of old travel trailers, chairs, firewood and lumber. The tents are on loan from Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development and are to be replaced with plywood attached to the tent frames.

Glowach bought 16 sheets of plywood on Sunday and planned to buy a couple of wood stoves Tuesday.

It's not much, but for the men who said Friday they have nowhere else to go, it seemed like the only alternative.

"They're plain old shacks," said Glowach.

"They're not painted and have no windows, but it keeps you out of the cold."

"It beats living on the streets," said Roger.

Brad, a 37-year-old from Edmonton who was profiled in News/North March 27, joked Friday about the lack of running water, but Glowach responded with good humour.

"Sure we got running water -- you run into town and get it."

But Brad, Roger and Tim say they were prepared to put up with the discomfort if it came down to it.

"Ultimately I'll do what it takes," said Brad. He hoped to take his case for letting him and the others stay in the home to Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) Minister Jake Ootes last Wednesday.

He got as far as the security desk of the legislature where a security guard told him that he would not be allowed up to the cabinet offices to personally deliver his letters.

"Nobody gives a sh--, not a f---ing soul," said Brad.

Glowach cares and is prepared to show it with his own money.

With no other funding for his camp for the homeless, he paid for the plywood out of his own pocket and is prepared to buy all the food to feed whomever showed up at the site as well. He's also getting help from Chris Green, another supervisor at the shelter.

"I care about the people, the government doesn't," said Glowach.

"Money's never been a big thing in my life," he explained. "I've always helped people. If that's what it takes to help these people, that's what it takes."

Help needed

All he wanted was for them to come and help make the camp livable.

Of those interviewed by Yellowknifer, however, only one former resident of the Home for the Homeless had taken up Glowach's offer.

Tim, a man who would only say he's from "up North," moved out to the camp Friday and spent the weekend working to make improvements. He was still up there Monday.

Where the others went, Glowach isn't sure.

"I haven't seen anybody," he said Monday afternoon. "I wish a couple of others had come along to give a hand."

Some of the men had turned to the Salvation Army for a place to stay. Roger hasn't been heard from.

Disappointed but undaunted, Glowach plans to press ahead with his plans and get the shacks ready for whomever needs them.

Back at the home, the once busy kitchen table is quiet.

With two staff, Glowach and Green, and the one resident, it's not quite the same as it was last week.

The shelter is still open and it has at least another month of life.

According to a spokesperson for the NWT Housing Corporation, ECE will try to find new residents -- people who meet the criteria under which the residence was established.