The region’s emergency-warming centre for this year, located in the parking pot at the Ramada Inn close to the Silver Bridge, is expected to be ready for service by Nov. 15, as planned.
Ryan Wainwright, the senior manager of Emergency Management Cowichan, said a modular structure has been placed in the parking lot to house the shelter and work to complete the wiring of the structure, as well as two other temporary buildings that will be used for storage for shelter users and a security office, is nearing completion, but work to meet the deadline is down to the wire.
He said the larger modular building will house 20 beds for those who need it between Nov. 15 and March 31 during harsh winter-weather conditions, but that could expand to 30 beds if necessary if the required staff is available.
“The ratio we’re working with is one staff member for every 10 people using the shelter,” Wainwright said. “However, it’s a challenge to guarantee staff availability when we require more of them on busier nights because their call-up for work at the shelter is weather dependent, so it’s hard to schedule shifts.”
The shelter will be operated by the Lookout Housing and Health Society, which is entering its third year as the emergency warming centre operator in the Cowichan region.
There will be 24/7 security on site at the Ramada Inn location and additional outreach resources will be provided in the surrounding neighbourhood.
The Cowichan Valley Regional District stepped up last December and designated the Heritage Hall in the Cowichan Community Centre as the place to support the unhoused population in the Cowichan region during extreme weather conditions for the season after efforts by local emergency organizations and local governments over the years to find a suitable location proved unsuccessful.
However, just weeks after the shelter was established at the centre, the CVRD announced it would look into the lease of another available space to house the shelter after receiving numerous complaints from CCC users and neighbours, and the district announced several weeks ago that the CVRD’s board had approved a plan from Emergency Management Cowichan to lease the parking lot of the Ramada Inn for the service this year.
Last winter, the shelter at the CCC was open for 43 colder-than-usual nights from Dec. 12 when it opened to March 31 when it closed, and had close to 1,000 visits during those nights.
However, there were occasions where the demand exceeded capacity, resulting in 189 people being turned away from the shelter.
Wainright said this is the third year that the Lookout Housing and Health Society will manage the shelter, and the society and other partners in the initiative have learned some lessens in the last two years that will be applied this winter season to help iron the bugs out of providing the shelter.
The criteria that triggered the opening the emergency warming shelter in previous years was when temperatures fell to 2 C or below, coupled with adverse weather conditions such as high wind, rain, or snow, but it was modified midway through the operational period last year.
The criteria for activating the warming centre this year is when temperatures are near zero with rainfall that makes it difficult or impossible for homeless people to remain dry; and/or when there is sleet or freezing rain; and/or when there is snow accumulation of an amount that will not melt within 24 hours, even with higher temperatures.
As well, the shelter will be triggered when there is sustained high winds that warrant an Environment and Climate Change Canada special-weather statement or weather warning for Duncan; and/or when temperatures at or below 0 C; and/or the forecast calls for three or more days of consecutive winter rain.
The shelter will be activated by the Lookout Housing and Health Society as the sector expert, and the society has a wide notification system.
When activated, the centre is anticipated to be open for 12 hours overnight, with operating hours to be determined.
