Shelters Brace for Extreme Weather
Prince George, B.C. – With frigid temperatures headed our way next week local shelters expect to be busy.
In acknowledgement of that the provincial government announced 30 additional extreme weather spaces to be split between three downtown agencies (ASAP Bridget Moran Shelter, AWAC Women’s Shelter, and Ketsoh Yoh Shelter) this week.
And according to AWAC executive director Diane Nakamura the extra funding is much appreciated.
“It’s really helpful to have these additional beds because during the spring, summer, and fall folks sleep outside by choice but when it gets to minus 36 we do see more people come to the shelter.”
However she also notes that the 45 beds they have during the winter still doesn’t cover the demand.
“I’ve walked into the shelter in the morning and there are women sleeping all over the place. I’ve even seen women sleeping in chairs – they’re propped up and they’re sleeping and I know it’s not ideal but at least they’re inside and out of the cold.”
Sam Ens, coordinator at Ketso Yoh, says there’s been times historically they’ve gone over the 31 beds they provide but says a strategy is in place to ensure everyone “is provided with the basic staples to stay alive over night.”
He says the police play a big role in that during the winter months.
“The RCMP are fantastic. They bring a lot of people by they find on the streets that are ill-equipped to deal with the weather.”
As for why the numbers of people seeking shelter continues to increase Nakamura points to the nature of the economy in northern BC.
“With the economic development up north in places like Kitimat and Prince Rupert, my understanding is that the rents have gone up quite significantly. I know that there has been a migration of folks outside of Prince George to Prince George and I don’t think our rents here are all that much cheaper.”
And Ens says their clientele includes every walk of life.
“You see what people stereotypically believe is in the shelters, that’s definitely represented. But there’s also people down on their luck that have come to town.”
250 News contacted the provincial government to find out exactly how many beds are provided for in Prince George but our request for an interview was not granted.
Comments
The reason we are getting so many no income people coming here is we provide so many social services. The big question is why? some services are not needed like the Fire Pit that is drawing the wrong people downtown.
Don Z. wants to bring PG’s population up to 100,000. If he wants a bigger city, there will also be big city problems. Yin and Yang. Is he prepared for this if he wins? Seems there is already a lot social issues to deal with especially during colder temps. without the additional 20,000 peeps.
Extreme weather? Frigid temps? I imagine a number of these folks will be heading south with the ducks soon.
Headline blowup?
Shelter should give out bus tickets to those who need to get to somewhere warmer – say Kelowna, Penticton, lower mainland…Victoria…?
Bitter –> time for you to get specific … for weeks now you have been inferring that selected social services located in the downtown area are a problem for you … I would like to know more about your views and potential solutions…
Here are some starter questions…
Who are the RIGHT people to have access to downtown?
What is your position on gated communities?
How about special passes for access to downtown?
Are you proposing a no income / no go zone?
And what determines a person’s status in your eyes? Their income? Level of education? Amount of taxes they pay? Financial equity? Sobriety? ???
Our city will never reach more than 90,000 peeps and if it does it ain’t because of some lousy mayor. I probably won’t even be alive by the time PG finally reaches 100,000 people and at that time the 2014 election will be in the history books. Homelessness is going to increase if our population becomes larger and well haha, then what…
I can answer some of that anotherside. How about no panhandling and no intoxicated (drugs or alcohol) people allowed to walk around or pass out on a bench within so many meters of a active business unless they are being escorted to a designated driver’s vehicle. Quesnel is having issues with aggressive panhandlers.maybe it is time for a crackdown here too, they did it with hookers, not so much more difficult with panhandlers. If someone is sitting on a downtown park bench fine, if they are sitting on a bench higher than a kite not so fine. Same goes for passed out under a tree. Not rocket science, just not politically correct.
Good on you slinky .. at least you have enough conviction to respond with your point of view … And just where will those under the influence go when they are chased away from the park bench or from under the tree too close to a “business”? Into the residential neighborhoods? Around the schools in the Crescents or the Miller sub? Or maybe the churches? Or the river bank?
Moving a problem does not solve a problem. Moving a problem only makes it some one else’s problem.
“Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity over humanity, nothing exceeds most of the criticisms made on the habits of the poor by the well-housed, well- warmed, and well-fed.”
Herman Melville
Some petty folks need to seriously grow up.
Whatever happened to the drunk tank, where intoxicated people would be put until they got sober? Is there no such thing, or do the police not want to deal with the drunks downtown?
Good point Johnny Belt!
Maybe the new Palace du Police didn’t include a “drunk tank”.
Sunnyday2 … not really … unless you are convinced that the drunk tank is a more economical (which it isn’t) and more humane (which it isn’t) than a homeless shelter … reread the article … the RCMP is working with the shelters
Drunk tanks were fine when we were dealing with loggers (inappropriate stereotype I know) in the 60s that needed a place to sober up before heading back into the bush or a place for teenagers to grow up before their parents bailed them out (the 70s) but not that effective today.
The drunk tank is just fine. In fact I think a few weeks ago they hand about 14 people in it.
Seems to me that years ago if you went into the drunk tank on a Friday night you did not get out until Monday after you went before a judge.
Usually the charge was drunk and disorderly in a public place. It now seems you can get out the following morning and perhaps even a few hours later without any consequences for your actions.
These short cuts are the result of the Government not wanting to spend the money to process people under the law. So they throw them out on the street as soon as they can.
I suspect that providing more and more housing will attract more and more people, and the problem will not get better.
One thing is certain. We all knew that the weather was going to get colder as it does every winter, and perhaps we should have taken steps to ensure there were beds available early on, rather than leave it to the last minute.
Anyone ever notice that it is during the Census Year, that the local Governments comb the streets finding out how many homeless live in Prince George. At that time it is very important, because many Federal Government programs (such as the gas tax fund) are funded on a per capita basis. So everyone is important during the census, but not so much after. Hmmmmm.
So in other words, political correctness and the bleeding hearts killed the drunk tank.
It seems that whatever we do with public drunks now isn’t very effective. At least a drunk tank got them off the streets and away from the public, but that’s considered to be ‘inhumane’ now. Who knew.
Thanks for the clarification Palopu. Looks like we posted at the same time.
Extreme huh? Can’t wait to see which adjective they use when it hits minus 30 or worse.
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