Prince George shelters are busy providing refuge from the current cold spell

Prince George, B.C. – Clear skies, cold temperatures and wind chills in the minus 30-degree range are in the offing heading into the weekend and that can mean dire consequences for those without homes.

The frigid weather is pressing the three shelters in the city, ASAP, AWAC and Ketso Yoh, into full service. Audrey Schwartz, Executive Director of Active Support Against Poverty, says their shelter, which is normally funded for 30 people but 40 in extreme weather, had 55 people Thursday night. “And between the three shelters we did 113 last night.”   Capacity for the three shelters in total at this time of year is 116.

Schwartz says when the temperatures are low and the need for shelter is high “we just stack them in, put them on mats and that kind of thing.” She says the shelters are open 24 hours a day. “You’re not asked to leave if you are in here and it’s cold like this. If there’s any harm going to come to you by being outside, then we open.” The other shelters are open 24 hours per day as well.

Entering the weekend Schwartz says “I think we’re all expecting full houses and over-capacity perhaps. But we deal with it, because you don’t want to send anybody outside. It’s treacherous to be out there so we just do what we have to do.”