Vancouver opens up 3rd community centre overnight to help with cold snap
More than 50 people showed up at Britannia and Creekside community centres Saturday night, says city
The City of Vancouver is opening up a third community centre overnight Sunday — after more than 50 people showed up at the two it opened the night before — to help people dealing with cold weather.
The West End Community Centre will remain open overnight Sunday, with support from staff and volunteers, in addition to the Creekside and Britannia community centres.
Opening the community centres is a temporary measure to help people living outdoors until Monday, when the current cold snap is expected to turn to rain.
The warming shelters won't have beds set up, but the city says anyone with their own bedding is welcome to use it. Warm drinks and water will be provided.
The city says Yellow Cab is offering free rides for anyone making their way to one of the warming shelters.
Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/YellowcabVan">@YellowcabVan</a> for offering to provide transport anyone who is on the streets to the warming shelters free of charge. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/vanpoli?src=hash">#vanpoli</a> <a href="https://t.co/OuK39Ci81m">pic.twitter.com/OuK39Ci81m</a>
—@VanMayorsOfficeThe Kahlsa Diwan Society's seniors centre was also open overnight and will do the same again for Sunday. The city says they welcomed another 17 people Saturday night.
Park Board Chair Michael Wiebe said this is the first year the City and the Park Board have used community centres as emergency shelter spaces and he hopes it can happen in the future with more planning.
According to the city, there are 956 permanent shelter beds in Vancouver and up to 429 additional beds can be made available.
Anyone looking for space can call 211 to see where one may be available.
With files from Gian-Paolo Mendoza
