Vulnerable residents are escaping the cold in a warming centre that recently opened in downtown New West.
The warming shelter, sponsored by New Westminster Fire and Rescue Services, is located in the space that houses the health contact centre operated by the Lower Mainland Purpose Society. The warming centre, located at 40 Begbie St. and accessed via an entrance on Alexander Street, is open from Sunday to Tuesday from 10:30 p.m. to 8 a.m. when overnight temperatures hit -4 C or lower.
“On average, there are 15 a night sleeping, four sitting up at the door chatting with staff, and approximately 20 people who will come in and leave throughout the night,” said Lynda Fletcher-Gordon, the society’s acting executive director. “People are provided a mat, coffee and snacks.”
According to Fletcher-Gordon, the warming shelter opens after the safe consumption site closes for the night.
The Purpose Society also operates a nightly shelter in the former Army & Navy Department Store space at 502 Columbia St. Overnight guests receive a cot and bedding for the night, evening snacks and breakfast in the morning.
“Our 502 Columbia shelter has been over capacity for the past three weeks,” Fletcher-Gordon said of the shelter that’s open daily from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.
The City of New Westminster, BC Housing and the Purpose Society are continuing to work towards the creation of a 24/7 shelter with supports at this location.
In addition to heavy snowfalls, recent weather conditions have included an Arctic outflow warning as a result of what Environment and Climate Change Canada called “bitterly cold temperatures and strong winds.” Temperature were forecast to drop as low as -20 or -25 C in the Lower Mainland because of wind chill values.
“We are encountering people that are so very cold and sick. We provided food and clothing for one fellow but we finally had to call the ambulance because he was so weak he could not walk,” Fletcher-Gordon told the Record Monday. “Obviously, with more snow coming, it won’t be easy for folks.”
Erin Williams, acting fire chief, and John Stark, the city’s supervisor of community planning, provided a joint statement to the Record about the warming centre. They noted that city council approved a temporary use permit for a shelter use at 502 Columbia St. on Nov. 15, 2021 but it was not operational until Dec. 30, 2021 because of the need for building upgrades, equipment procurement and staff recruitment.
Purpose operated an extreme weather response (EWR) shelter in that space, formerly home to the Army & Navy Department Store, until March 31, 2022 and began operating a nightly shelter in that location on Sept. 1, 2022. (An extreme weather response shelter is only activated during extreme weather events.)
According to city officials, the city worked closely with Purpose to augment the services at the health contact centre on Begbie Street so the society could provide a nighttime warming centre last year. That centre, which operated until Dec. 30, 2021, was staffed by a combination of Purpose employees, fire personnel and private security.
“Given the lack of an EWR shelter, the health contact centre provides some limited excess capacity but is only activated during extreme cold events,” said a statement from the city. “With respect to services, the fire department is liaising closely with Purpose because we are the lead department for emergency management in the city.”
Given that role, New Westminster Fire and Rescue Services has been able to advise Purpose about enhancements that are eligible for Emergency Management British Columbia funding.
In past years, Lookout Housing and Health Society was able to provide shelter to some folks through the extreme weather response program.
“City staff did approach Lookout Housing and Health Society about opening a small EWR shelter at the Russell Housing Centre, which is located at 740 Carnarvon St.,” said the city’s statement. “Given the small number of mats (10 to 14), the difficulty recruiting staff and volunteers, and the unpredictability associated with these types of shelters (i.e., only operational during extreme weather events), Lookout decided not to offer this service for 2022/23.”
In July, the City of New Westminster adopted a new homelessness action strategy, a five-year vision and plan to address homelessness and related issues in the city. Earlier this month, council received an update on a downtown livability strategy that included components related to assisting vulnerable residents.
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