Native Woman Mourns Death Of Homeless Uncle

Native Woman Mourns Death Of Homeless Uncle

Wednesday, December 13, 2006 at 13:33

An Aboriginal woman from Saskatchewan hopes the recent freezing death of her uncle in Calgary helps spur the resurrection of a men’s shelter in Prince Albert.

Shelley Mike’s uncle, Alvin Constant, was one of four homeless men who died from exposure during a cold snap that hit Calgary on November 30th.

She says Constant was a transient with a “heart of gold”, and she’s angry he died the way he did and couldn’t depend on the warmth of a shelter in an oil-rich city.

Mike says her uncle’s death has opened her eyes to the plight of the homeless and how much they are hurting.

She’s urging the public to get behind the drive to re-establish a men’s shelter in Prince Albert, and to demonstrate unconditional care to the homeless through donations of blankets, socks, toques and gloves.