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December 22, 2021 - 6:00 PM
Emergency shelter space available in Kamloops won't meet the need this Christmas as colder weather comes to Kamloops.
Beds are now available at Stuart Wood Elementary with an additional five opened on top of the 20 initially planned for the space, according to social and community development supervisor for the City of Kamloops Ty Helgason.
The former downtown school is not hosting beds in the main portion of the building, but in the old gym.
It "would not be appropriate" to use the main portion of the building for shelter space, Helgason said.
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The Stuart Wood shelter beds brings the city's total available emergency shelter spaces to 153, Helgason said, which leaves a shortage of around 50 beds.
The most recent Point in Time count identified around 200 people living without permanent shelter in Kamloops, but the surveys are generally considered to be an undercount, in part because people are not obligated to take part.
Cold weather moving into the Interior this week is expected to bring daytime temperatures below -10 Celsius, dipping to nearly -20 C in Kamloops on Dec. 26, according to Environment Canada.
In response to the dropping temperatures, The Loop drop-in centre at 405A Tranquille Rd. is running a warming centre from 4 p.m. to midnight each day, but its consistency depends on how long volunteers can continue without burning out, The Loop and COVID Meal Train coordinator Glenn Hilke said.
"If we had money, we'd stay open overnight. Right now, the amazing volunteers we have are putting in extra time," Hilke said.
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The 405A Tranquille Rd. property was deemed a nuisance property this summer and The Loop no longer has funding from the city to operate, but that isn't stopping them from keeping their doors open in the cold.
Hilke said they can only fit about 15 people inside the building while taking public health measures into account, and they cannot operate as a shelter overnight.
"It's sad. We give them an hour's heads up, then a half-hour, because we know they're going to squeeze out any ounce of warmth they can," he said. "When midnight comes, we give them supplies and wish them good luck."
Hilke is an outspoken advocate for services pointed towards people who are homeless, living in poverty or living with mental health issues, and said there was not enough urgency to deliver shelter spaces in Kamloops this winter.
"It's a shit show out there. There's no spaces," he said. "I just don't understand why there's no major warming centre opening somewhere. It's so obvious and logical, not to mention compassionate. It's just failure of policy and action."
The city isn't planning on opening a similar warming space this winter, Helgason said.
He added, however, the Canadian Mental Health Association is putting mats on the floor and operating above capacity when they can.
In November, the Memorial Arena and Emerald Centre shelters were above capacity for most of the month, with a maximum of five beds above the maximum per night.
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Helgason also said the Envision shuttle will transport individuals to shelters from Monday to Friday, or they can be triaged if they get to one of the city's shelters and it's full.
Memorial Arena will continue to operate as a shelter until the new shelter at the former Greyhound bus depot is open early next year. Moira House near Halston Bridge is also planned to be open in the new year.
However, the new facilities add little to the current shelter inventory due to the impending loss of the 50 beds at the Memorial Arena.
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