Struggle on the streets: Brian's story of survival
On an empty lot in a retail section of west London, Ont. lives a man trying to escape homelessness. His name is Brian McManus.
He is 50 years old and has been living on the streets for four years.
“I just can’t believe this has happened to me,” he tells CTV News London.
For the past 14 months, McManus has lived in a makeshift shack, which he has lined with plastic in the hopes of keeping warm during the current deep freeze.
“Keeping it sealed is a difficult thing, but it is working," he says.
That includes the extreme cold of the past many nights.
His 74-year-old mother, Barb Jones, also of London, is desperate to help her "boy" find an apartment.
“Once a mother, always a mother,” she says.
Jones contacted CTV News London hoping the public would hear his story. Through tears, she explained why.
“It just breaks my heart he’s out here, and I can’t do anymore.”
She says agencies have either failed her son or failed to adapt to his mental health.
Barb Jones, the mother of Brian McManus, speaks in London, Ont. on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022. (Sean Irvine / CTV News)
For his part, McManus blames a deteriorating relationship and past troubles for his homelessness.
Both he and his mother say he beat a drug addiction years ago.
“I don’t do none of that. I don’t steal. I don’t do drugs,” he exclaims.
The extreme cold has taken a toll. He says he can no longer feel his fingertips and struggles to keep his hands and body warm.
Like most experiencing homelessness, McManus’s winter wear is often stolen, as his gloves were the night before he spoke with CTV News London.
“It’s like the 'Bank of Brian' I used to say, when you leave, you’ve got to expect you’re going to lose it.”
Thankfully, those working for businesses in the area are generous. One local shop owner just bought him a new winter coat. In return, McManus says he picks up all the garbage he sees in the area.
Like others who live on the streets, he could turn to shelters to stay warm.
But he says it is not an option that works for his independent personality and previous history.
Jones says she used to push him to go, but has since backed off. She worries her son could find himself back in the wrong crowd.
But the longer he stays on the streets, the harder it is to survive the cold and resist the temptation - McManus says - to take things to stay warm.
“It’s so expensive to be homeless and be legal, people don’t understand that.”
So with apartment rentals skyrocketing out of reach and geared-to-income locations hard to obtain, what options are left?
Jones, herself on a fixed income, is at a loss as she lives in a one-bedroom seniors' apartment. Meanwhile, her heartache grows.
“I’m at my limit and I can’t help him. He needs a roof over his head, a home, a basement apartment, a garage, anything. He needs help!”
And this “always a mom” is pointing fingers at London's leaders in an emotional plea.
“There is money in this city, millions of dollars, but they forget about the underdog people!”
And as McManus looks to find a way to stay warm, for yet another night, he says his mom's assessment is spot on.
“We get the last of the line, and others have an advantage over us. I find that difficult.”
And lonely.
He says he is searching for a way “off his island” to a simple paradise with a roof and a warm bed.
“I feel like that movie Castaway. I get caught talking to myself in despair. I just can’t believe it.”
If you’d like to offer help or words of kindness, click here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
NEW 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire': A crowd pleaser that turns it up to 11
Hot on the heels of last year's 'Godzilla Minus One' comes 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,' the first ever Academy Award winner in the giant reptile's decades-long film career.