The Ben Mulroney Show - Trying to Survive Canada's Winter While Unhoused

Episode Date: October 21, 2026

On today's episode of "The Ben Mulroney Show," Ben welcomes back Greg Cronier, the man behind "⁠Handsome Homeless⁠."  Greg discusses the impending cold and his hot tent set up⁠ as he preps for winter while unhoused. Instagram: @handsomehomeless If you enjoyed the podcast, tell a friend! For more of the Ben Mulroney Show, subscribe to the podcast! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://link.chtbl.com/bms⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Also, on youtube -- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@BenMulroneyShow⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Ben on Twitter/X at https://x.com/BenMulroney Insta: ⁠⁠⁠@benmulroneyshow⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠@benmulroneyshow⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠@benmulroneyshow⁠⁠⁠   Executive Producer:  Mike Drolet Reach out to Mike with story ideas or tips at [e-mail] Enjoy   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Standard messaging and data rates may apply. Unlock unlimited free grocery delivery with PC Express Pass. Shop online and get the same low, no frills prices delivered. Get your first year of PC Express Pass for just $2.50 a month. Learn more at NoFrile. I always love checking in with this next guest. I think he's an important voice for us to keep bringing on to this show. A reminder that sometimes when there is an issue, sometimes we talk about people instead of talking to those people. And those people in this situation are our homeless neighbors and brothers and sisters in cities across this country.

You know, we talk about the homeless problem and sometimes maybe it makes a lot more sense just to talk to a homeless person to see what problems they would like to have solved. And I listen, I think there are some really well-intentioned activists. But in some cases, they, those activists come with a raft of priorities that maybe they don't tell you about. And so while they come under the auspices of helping the homeless, there are some of the rafts that, you're some of the rafts that, you're not. other people to get helped along the way. I'm not trying to disparage an entire group of people, but I think in, I think when it comes to really wanting to get to the crux of the issue, why not talk to somebody who walks that walk every day? And we are working on getting our friend Greg Cronier, the handsome homeless on the show. Is he ready to go? Fantastic. Greg,

welcome the show. Thanks for having me again, Ben. Yeah, well, you know, I hope you don't find that I make light, but as a homeless man, I never know where you are. So where do we find you today? Yeah, I'm actually in Aurelia at this time. Came to base camp here for the winter. I would just so happen to pull up the weather app on my phone. And while we've got some days here in Toronto where, I mean, we're pushing 17, 18 degrees. It's getting as low as two degrees at night. I got to believe that you've had some nights where you're getting pretty close to freezing.

Absolutely. It's getting a little chilly, but I have quite a good amount of sleeping supplies, and a wood stove now. So I am very blessed. I saw your Instagram, and if anyone wants to follow you, it's handsome homeless on Instagram. And you had a small tent inside a big tent, and that big tent has a hole where you can put a wood burning stove. So I'm sure that on the inside, it's nice and toasty. But it presents to me a number of questions and risks. I mean, I got to believe, you've told me yourself that you have to be apprehensive, even amongst the homeless community.

And if I were sitting out there freezing and I saw that there was a guy in a park with billowing smoke coming out of a tent radiating with heat, I may consider doing something about that to make his tent my tent. Absolutely. That's one of my main challenges. That's why if you noticed I am very off-grid, I try to stay away from the general population of homeless people because I do know as soon as I leave that they will take what I have.

Have you ever been in a situation where you found yourself at the mercy of Mother Nature in the middle of the winter? Absolutely. Last winter, about in December, I didn't have any of these supplies that was suffering from addiction. So it was very difficult. I found myself sleeping in water depots, and even one night I had to go to the emergency room just because that was the only place that was open. What do you mean a water depot?

So the water depot, so you go in and you fill your jugs, as you will. And me and my other homeless people, we would leave, like, they locked the doors by a timer, so there's nobody there, and we'd just leave the door open for us to sleep in. Let me ask you a question, because, you know, I remember one of the first things, one of the first years I was on radio, we were getting through the into the fall, and I was pleading through the radio to City Hall to do something about what I knew was going to be a really cold,

what I thought was going to be a very cold winter. I said, people will die on the streets of Toronto. And it was a time where all these big retailers were closing down. You know, and downtown, like all the big department stores were closing down. And I said, take over those leases, throw some beds in there and keep these people warm. And by the grace of God, it was a mild winter. But like there are people in this city.

And I got to say, I count myself among them every now and then, Greg, where I, you know, I get mad at the city when I see people escaping the cold by going into libraries, by sleeping in the subway system, by sleeping in stairwells and malls and union station. and I don't fault the homeless people for trying to get stay cold, stay warm. I fault the city and the province for not doing enough to get beds for these people. How do you see it? And how do you feel when you encounter sort of the negative energy that I just told you about from a fellow citizen? Well, from my perspective, I do see the city trying.

They are giving us different places. Churches are volunteering, soup kitchens, et cetera. But, yeah, there is definitely a shortage, and there is that population of the homeless that don't want to associate with the other homeless. Again, theft is a huge issue. So that is my perspective. And I try to avoid it. So they are trying, but there are a lot of vacant areas that they can open, like you said. I see a lot of bacon buildings all the time, and they should be put to use.

Yeah, I thought that was a missed opportunity back in the day. I don't know what the status of all of those big, empty department stores is anymore. but I just, I didn't, I never understood why they couldn't. And, you know, you can protect them all by making sure that the doors that access the mall are closed and locked and you can't get in or out. But, but anyway, I think that, that moment has passed. You know, in the few minutes we have left, are there any tips that you, I don't, I don't know if any homeless people are listening to this show.

But I'm always amazed when I see a homeless person with a data plan and a phone that's nicer than mine. So maybe they might be streaming us. Who knows? What's some advice that you've learned the hard way that you wish you'd known back then? Oh, I would just be prepared. Back then, I definitely didn't have the funds and the addiction took a hold of me. But if you're on the streets, I just want to say to them, hey, man, keep up the battle because you can win and you can keep fighting and keep trying because eventually you'll get there and be able to get back into a house and never give up the fight.

lose hope. Where are you in that, in your path to making your way back into a housed situation? Because I know you're doing it methodically and you're doing it, you know, you want to make sure that you check all the boxes before you take the next step. Where are you on that, on that journey? Yeah. So I'm actually trying to postpone it a little bit. I could probably get a house now, but I am doing the survival off grid to try to show people that it is possible out here. And I plan to go to BC in the spring. That's why I haven't really, secured housing because if I have a house and a job, travel is impossible. Yeah.

So I plan to go to BC all the way to Halifax again in a six-month tour next year to document as well and continue the travel. Well, listen, always glad that you check in with us. I'm glad you're safe. You sound like you've got a spring in your step. You sound optimistic. I'm really happy for you. Just keep in touch with us.

Please stay safe. And yeah, come back on the show anytime. I really appreciate you, Greg. Thank you, sir. Thank you. Have a good day. Unlock unlimited free grocery delivery with PC Express Pass. Shop online and get the same low No Frills prices delivered.

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