Ezra holds his little dog Muppet to his chest against the blowing cold.

It’s -20 C in Edmonton on the day he’s decided to visit the abandoned shack where he spent last winter huddled against the elements. Ezra, 42, had been homeless off and on since the late ’90s and struggling with addiction when he stumbled on the tiny building and found it unlocked.

“This was top of the top for a homeless person to have this,” he says. “I had everything. I was out of the elements. I had a thermostat, a plug, some cardboard.”

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