As of the city’s last data tracking, there are 275 people who are homeless in Sudbury, but the city’s warming centres and shelters only have room for 164 people, meaning every night in Sudbury, at least 111 people are left out in the cold.
Even when there is an Extreme Cold Weather Alert, triggered specifically when temperatures drop below -15, or -20 with the windchill (or when a bad storm is coming), there is no more space.
At those temperatures, said Raymond Landry, manager of the Homelessness Network, “we know that bad things start happening to people if they're exposed to those temperatures in the long term.”
In the past, that meant frostbite, and even injuries due to fires set to keep warm. Only two years ago a Sudbury man died in his tent trying to keep warm, burning to death from the small candle he lit.
In the month of December, there have been 15 of these alerts, an “unprecedented” amount Landry said. “One every other day.” Four of the first six days of 2026 triggered cold weather alerts.
According to the Go-Give Project and Public Health Sudbury and Districts (PHSD), the cold weather paired with no capacity at the warming centres are causing injuries from cold-weather or from unsafe heating sources.
Not only that, but these injuries — burns, frostbite and the potential for death — are occurring in a population that is already vulnerable. According to city data, 78 per cent are potentially unable to understand the risk they face by staying outdoors.
Funded by the City of Greater Sudbury, Emergency Cold Weather alerts meant, in previous years, adding more warming spaces for the 24-hour-period after one was called. That’s not the case this season: not from a decrease in spaces, but rather, those additional spaces are open every night in response to the increasing need.
“There's actually more regular warming spaces on a per night basis through this winter than previously,” said Landry, but it’s still not enough. He said this means the only additional service his team can provide is to offer rides to warming spaces, or, as is often the case, “providing practical assistance they need in the moment to survive the night.”
That means that the additional spaces that were triggered during cold weather alerts are no longer: they are already full.
And so, according to the Go-Give Project, staff have observed an increase in “suspected frostbite or early stage frostbite, particularly during prolonged cold snaps,” said founder Evie Ali.
“Most recently, our staff member supported three individuals who were presenting with signs consistent with frostbite, waiting with them at Health Sciences North during an extreme cold period. These cases appear to be increasing as temperatures drop and exposure times lengthen,” she said.
And while the data is limited and subject to caveats, and what is triaged “is often not ultimately correct once a patient is formally assessed”, PHSD told Sudbury.com their emergency department triage data through late November and December was showing two to four cold-related injuries being triaged per week in the Sudbury emergency department.
“However, in the most recent week (Dec. 31 to Jan. 6), that has increased to 10 injuries’ triaged.”
“It’s been extremely harsh to start the season,” said Landry. “And it shows no signs of stopping.”
And while changes to the space available on a daily basis in the winter is covering more than last year, is there enough?
Put simply, “No,” said Landry.
“The system has been overwhelmed by the sheer number of persons experiencing homelessness, there is simply not enough space and there hasn’t been since the pandemic,” he said.
Between Dec. 1, 2025, and Jan. 1, 2026, the Go-Give 24/7 warming centre (which has capacity for 50 people at a time, including staff) is seeing a daytime average of 101 people, with their highest daytime count being 139 people trying to get warm. Ali said they can cycle people in and out throughout the day, but there are still people unable to access the centre due to capacity restrictions.
At night, when the temperatures really drop, Ali said the warming centre sees an average of 115 people, with their highest night count hitting 147 people.
“On most nights, we also see between two and 15 individuals waiting outside for a space once capacity is reached, which varies depending on weather severity and outreach activity,” said Ali. “This does not include the additional increase at the encampment location.”
A resident of the encampment told Sudbury.com one woman waited for so long outside the Go-Give warming centre she had to be taken to hospital by ambulance.**
Of those trying to access services, Ali said staff see a mixed population, “including young people and seniors.”
Additionally, she said many of these people are “incapacitated” due to substance use, mental health challenges, exhaustion, or medical vulnerability, “and who are unable to accurately assess the danger posed by extreme cold,” she told Sudbury.com. “We also see people arrive at the warming centre who have clearly been outside for prolonged periods but either did not recognize the urgency of the situation or were physically unable to get themselves to Energy Court.”
By the numbers: the By Name List and the Point in Time Count
As the city is changing over its tracking system in response to federal funding requirements, the only numbers currently available regarding the homeless population in Sudbury are from September.
While Sue Ritchie Raymond, the city’s manager of homelessness and housing stability, told Sudbury.com that changeover would be happening soon, updated numbers are not yet available, and neither are the updated number from the October 2025 Point in Time (PiT) count, which takes one night to count all those who are homeless in the city.
As well, Ritchie Raymond said an update on the Roadmap to End Homelessness, endorsed by council in 2024, will arrive back in front of them in February.
For now, using the only data available, the numbers on the By Name List shows that in September, there were 275 listed as “actively homeless.”
But as Landry noted, the list only captures between 30 and 40 per cent of the people who are homeless in Sudbury. You can find more on that here.
Even so, the math doesn’t work.
Take the 254 people living in the 50 encampments across Sudbury, noted in the September By Name List data. This represented 31 per cent of all those residing in encampments.
The PiT count is out of date (from 2024) but showed that there were closer to 500 people who are homeless in the city, and most of them local.
Each night, there are a total of 79 shelter beds available: Elizabeth Fry Safe Harbour House (16), the Off the Street Shelter (35) and the Salvation Army Cedar Place (28).
There are also warming spaces, room for 50 people (including staff) at the Go-Give centre, and an additional 35 at the Samaritan Centre. That means a total of 164 “spaces” for someone to get warm.
If there are 275 actively homeless, 111 won’t find room. Even if you take only those living in encampments, 254, there are still 90 people for whom there is no space.
What are people doing to stay warm?
Already in 2026, Greater Sudbury Fire Services have had to extinguish a fire in a tent on Jan. 5. No one was inside at the time, but as Chief Rob Grimwood told Sudbury.com on Jan. 6, “Unfortunately, it's becoming a fairly routine incident.”
If the common predictor of future experience is past experience, there are more injuries to come. A man died in his tent in January, 2024, then a woman was brought to hospital with burns after a fire in Energy Court in December, 2024. On Nov. 11, 2025, two people were injured after a fire at the Energy Court encampment.
And that’s not counting the cold-weather injuries as a result of frostbite or hypothermia.
The Go-Give project told Sudbury.com of the three community members they escorted to hospital, data from their Acute Care Enhanced Surveillance System points to an increase in cold-weather injuries: there were two to four per week in November and December, but then the jump to 10 from New Year’s Eve to Jan. 6.
PHSD does not track final diagnosis from Emergency Departments.
Ali said the population she serves attempts to stay warm through layering damp or insufficient clothing, using makeshift bedding such as cardboard, tarps, or discarded materials, burning candles or small heat sources in enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces, or seeking shelter in unsafe or isolated locations.
“These methods significantly increase the risk of frostbite, hypothermia, fire, carbon monoxide exposure, and injury, particularly overnight,” she told Sudbury.com.
But it will have to do for now, as there are no changes to city operations in the near future.
“At this point, we have no decisions made about any expansion,” Ritchie Raymond told Sudbury.com.
She said the city works with community partners to monitor the service levels and tracking allows them to discuss any necessary improvements or changes.
“But there hasn't been a decision at this time to make any changes to this current response,” she said.
From the perspective of the Go-Give Project, “without additional capacity or resources, we risk not being able to safely accommodate everyone seeking warmth during severe weather,” said Ali.
PHSD noted their desire for the creation of “a more complete, centralized, timely, and public” reporting system for cold-related injuries or deaths.
“We believe greater action is needed to improve living conditions and support persons-at-risk in order to prevent these tragedies from happening.”
Jenny Lamothe covers vulnerable and marginalized populations as well as housing issues and the justice system for Sudbury.com.
**This story has been corrected as a quote was improperly attributed.