Frostbite amputations reach 10-year high in Calgary

Amputations due to frostbite more than doubled in Calgary last year, and most of those affected were Calgary’s unhoused.

Deep freeze temperatures aren’t a foreign concept here in Calgary. However, what is new is the growing number of extreme weather-related ailments Calgarians are experiencing.

During the 2021-22 fiscal year, according to Alberta Health Services (AHS), 65 Calgarians received amputations due to frostbit, a big jump from 19 the previous year.

In a statement, AHS attributes this to several factors, including harsher winters and a larger unhoused population over the course of the pandemic.

“Particularly people with the highest substance use the lowest regularity in terms of their living conditions like even not knowing what shelter they’re staying in or people that are rough sleeping,” said Andrew Millar, program director for the Calgary Mustard Seed.

“Those are the people that are most prone to those effects.”

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Millar says that despite shelters having the space, more of Calgary’s unhoused are choosing to sleep outside.

“Since the pandemic, the number of people that are rough sleeping. That is to say, homeless and not staying in shelters has grown a lot, approximately doubled,” he said.

“Higher drug substances and other things that people have noted are all over the place. Those are things that are all risk factors, and those have all increased in the past few years.”

It’s not uncommon for Calgary to experience deep freeze temperatures in the -30 C range, making frostbite a harsh reality in less than 10 minutes.

The Mustard Seed is one of several organizations needing winter clothing donations such as jackets, thermals, hats and gloves.