Smithers is a small community of 5,000 people. It acts as a hub between Prince George and Terrace as the only town with amenities such as Canadian Tire, all-night gas stations and drive-through restaurants.

Smithers is also located on the Yellowhead Highway, a part of the Trans-Canada Highway that runs across Western Canada. This highway has been named the "Highway of Tears" for the many Indigenous women, girls, trans and queer people who have been murdered or have gone missing along the route.

This community is not immune to humanitarian issues: in a town of 5,000, 29 people are homeless as of this month.

"This is a problem that every community faces, that folks who, for various reasons find themselves in vulnerable positions, unable to take advantage of what we see as normal shelter opportunities and it's coupled with the fact that it's really hard to find housing here [in Smithers]," Mayor Gladys Atrill said.

Listen to the following clip from CICK's conversation with Smithers Mayor Atrill about how the town is addressing and caring for its most vulnerable: