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Extreme weather shelter opens after cold snap

The Salvation Army has been operating its extreme weather shelter for several days because of the recent cold spell. Capt. Dave Macpherson of the Salvation Army said its been operating the program since Dec. 2.

The Salvation Army has been operating its extreme weather shelter for several days because of the recent cold spell.

Capt. Dave Macpherson of the Salvation Army said its been operating the program since Dec.

2. The program is enacted when the temperature dips to -2 C.

"We have been right on the border of that," he said.

According to Macpherson, the program has attracted about 15 people each night. It's open to men and women aged 19 and older.

"We can take up to 40," he said. "We haven't hit that number in a long time."

People using the program receive a full meal on the night of their stay, a continental breakfast the next morning and a lunch to take with them.

"New Westminster does have a team," he said.

"The Salvation Army makes the call, because we have to get the staff in place."

The Salvation Army opens up its gym as a temporary emergency shelter, where people can sleep on mats for the night.

While the extreme weather response plan was funded for a certain number of days annually when it was first launched, Macpherson said that's no longer the case.

"It's on demand," he said. "B.C. Housing is quite good with that. It's open ended."

The Lower Mainland Purpose Society operates an overnight drop-in centre for up to 10 youth as part of the extreme weather response plan. It has also enacted the extreme weather response plan and provided emergency shelter for youth.

Local community and ser-vice providers, the City of New Westminster and the provincial government developed the New Westminster extreme weather response plan. While there are a number of year-round shelter beds in New Westminster, the extreme weather response plan was developed to address increased demand that may occur with extreme weather conditions.

Extreme weather is defined as conditions that are severe enough to present a substantial threat to the life and/or health of people who are homeless, such as temperatures at or below - 2 C or 0 to -2 C with a wind chill, heavy rain in combination with low temperatures (close to 0 degrees C) or significant snow accumulation.

tmcmanus@royalcityrecord.com