MONTREAL - Occupy Montreal has hit the two week mark, with the village at Square Victoria having grown to about 200 tents.

But how are the roughly 400 protesters getting by every day?

Well the encampment's kitchen is always churning out freshly prepared food for the residents, and while most of that food is coming from people donating it, some is coming from non-profit organizations who had collected the food.

"We haven't been here long," said protester Paul Bode. "And we're not talking about a huge amount of food."

Cyril Morgan of the Welcome Hall Mission, the city's largest food bank, says his organization wouldn't be raiding its food bank to give the Occupy movement a helping hand.

"Giving them food and indiscriminately giving them food and saying here's food for all of you who want to protest, I don't think that's in our mandate," Morgan said. "We go through an extensive screening process here to make sure the people we give food to are really in need."

While they are there by choice, it could be argued the protesters at the Occupy site will soon be in need – of blankets.

Temperatures are starting to plummet – the mercury was expected to drop below zero Thursday night – and protesters are expecting their numbers to thin out as winter draws ever nearer.

"We'll probably reduce quite a bit once the cold really sets in," said Jamie Richardson. "Last night I was freezing as well."

Organizers have talked to City Hall about making arrangements to render things a bit more comfortable, but they were denied.

"They've asked to expand their site, the city's refused," said city spokesman Darren Becker. "They've asked to install generators, we've refused. They asked to install barbecues, we've refused."

There is an obvious safety element to the city's stance, but they also don't want to be seen as encouraging the protest.

"I think it has to be clear they're occupying a site," Becker said. "There's a certain tolerance, there's a certain give and take, but we're trying to contain it."