Kim Marshall was handing out blankets early Tuesday to the cold and unhoused after snow fell on Greater Victoria.
Marshall, an outreach worker with the Dandelion Society, said she was worried sick about the most vulnerable people she deals with every day. But despite the cold temperatures and Monday’s snow, Marshall was relieved to find people camping in local parks were holding up well and able to keep warm.
“They’re very resilient, but the wet weather hasn’t hit yet and I think that’s where they’ll really start running into problems,” she said. “It’s the wet and the cold and they just can’t keep anything dry.”
She’s hoping the City of Victoria will implement its extreme-weather protocol because warming shelters are desperately needed.
“During the wet season, they’re just soaked. I don’t understand how they hold up, how they do make it through,” said Marshall. “It’s just awful.”
Environment Canada predicts the nights will continue to be cold, with lows between 0 C and 2 C through the weekend. Daytime temperatures are expected to rise to 6 C and 7 C.
The City of Victoria has opened a warming centre at the James Bay United Church at 511 Michigan St. with operating hours of 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. while the cold weather persists. The Sanctuary Youth Centre, located at 767 Humboldt St., in the basement of the Church of our Lord, will also be open from 2:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. for youth aged 14 to 20.
The Victoria Cool Aid Society has opened a 20-bed overnight shelter from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. at Rock Bay Landing, 535 Ellice St.
On Thursday, Victoria council is expected to vote on a staff recommendation to seek funding from B.C. Housing for overnight warming centres.
Grant McKenzie, director of communications for Our Place Society, said Tuesday that the extreme-weather protocol — where extra overnight shelter beds are made available in various locations — was always handled by B.C. Housing and the Coalition to End Homelessness, but the coalition doesn’t have the money to hire a co-ordinator. “Hopefully, they’ll have something in place when the next cold spell comes.”
For people who want to get out of the cold, Our Place is open every day from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
More than 1,000 meals are served every day, and there’s a 30-bed night shelter on the lower level of Our Place, but it’s full every night and there is a waiting list of about 20 people, said McKenzie.
Finding the right space and getting staffing for the extreme-weather protocol is very challenging, he said. “Most organizations are struggling to staff full-time positions.”
Still, most people who are unhoused tend to know bad weather is coming and get enough clothing and sleeping bags to survive, said McKenzie. Some people had their tents blown away in the high winds, however, and when the snow melts, people will get wet, which can lead to illness and hypothermia, he said.
“We don’t want to see anybody on the streets or in the park,” said McKenzie. “We really need a big year-round shelter so that nobody’s on the streets or in the park and when they come into that shelter they’re assessed. Until we address the underlying issues of why people are homeless — mental health and addiction — this won’t get better.”
Staff at the Bread of Life Centre in Port Alberni were busy Tuesday morning converting part of their building to a warming centre and shelter to provide refuge from the cold overnight.
The centre, which provides meals for families in need, is setting up 25 mats. But sleeping bags are needed, said Travis Clem, adding they have plenty of warm clothes.
Hours of the shelter will likely be about 8 p.m. to 8 a.m., with breakfast at 9 a.m. Anyone who wants to remain in the building at 3130 Third Ave. is welcome to do so, Clem said.
The community’s existing shelter is full and more overnight spaces are needed, Clem said.
Some people have been setting up “pop-up” outdoor facilities on their own, with fire pits and hot coffee for those with nowhere to go.
Cold weather is moving into Port Alberni, with temperatures predicted to fall below 0 C until Saturday and Sunday, when nighttime lows of 1 C are expected. A low of -5 C was forecast for Tuesday night, with a Wednesday-night low of -3 C.
In Nanaimo, the city is seeking non-profit partners to take on the job of providing shelter during extreme weather conditions, including cold in winter and heat in the summer.
The city says it’s ready to work with organizations and cover the costs of warming centres during the daytime this winter, but agencies are saying there is a shortage of space to operate such a facility.
Nanaimo has a budget of close to $300,000 from the federal-provincial Strengthening Communities Services Program to help unhoused residents.
A low of -5 C was forecast for Nanaimo on Tuesday night, rising to -1 C on Wednesday night.
