Upkar Singh Tatlay gets up before dawn to drive community members with no home of their own to a warming centre.

Indian-origin Man In Canada: Arctic Blast or Arctic Freeze has made life very difficult for the residents of America and to some extent, Canada in the north. As the temperatures continue to hover below the freezing point it is worse for the homeless. Amidst this bleak scenario, there is a ray of hope in the form of an Indo-Canadian driver who is providing critical shuttle services to people seeking shelter in sub-zero temperatures in the British Columbia province of Canada.

The Indo-Canadian driver who goes by the name of Upkar Singh Tatlay is the executive director of the Engaged Communities Canada Society. Upkar Singh Tatlay gets up before dawn to drive community members with no home of their own to a warming centre in a white multi-passenger van.

“There are so many people that need assistance,” said Tatlay while talking to CBC news channel. Moreover, he makes multiple trips transporting people from the end of November through March.

Tatlay knows the dangers of being exposed to frigid weather and that it can be life-threatening, he picks unhoused people from an overnight shelter in Surrey to drop them at the Society’s Daytime Warming Centre in the neighbouring city of White Rock.

While an overnight shelter is available at the South Surrey Recreation Centre, users have to vacate it before 6.30 a.m.

Tatlay then transports these people to the centre, which is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. at North Bluff Road and is funded by the city and public donations.

“People are sleeping in really difficult situations so we are always trying to find out where they are,” he told CBC. He said that he also keeps an eye on those in need of shelter services.

“We see seniors, we see people that have been discharged from the hospital, we see people who are renovicted. A lot of folks who actually have really good jobs but they just don’t compare to the astronomical rents, cost of living (and) food,” said Tatlay.

When Tatlay arrives with his first batch, they are welcomed by volunteers serving croissants and coffee. In addition, they have access to mental health and medical resources at the centre and are also provided warm clothing and blankets.

(With IANS inputs)