With the third and most powerful storm on its way, the Greater Victoria Extreme Weather Protocol has been activated, October 14th.
There is uncertainty about exactly where this system will land. Environment Canada is predicting it could be anywhere from northwestern Washington State to central Vancouver Island.
“A worst-case windstorm scenario for the Inner South Coast would be a landfall along central or southern Vancouver Island.”
The Greater Victoria Extreme Weather Protocol (EWP) is a regional community program developed to address the shelter needs of homeless people during periods of harsh wind, rain, snow, and/or subzero temperatures.
According the the EWP, the following emergency shelters will be available tonight:
Rock Bay Landing – 535 Ellice Street | 84 beds + 25 overflow mats (Co-Ed and pets)
Sandy Merriman House – 809 Burdett Ave – 25 beds (women only)
Salvation Army ARC – 525 Johnson St. – 21 beds (men only)
Our Place Society – 30 Mats (Co-Ed)
First Metropolitan United Church – 932 Balmoral – 55 Mats (Co-Ed)
Our Place – 919 Pandora Ave – 50 Mats (Co-Ed)
See the current status: www.vewp.net/status/
Local homeless youth who need a warm, safe place to sleep will once again be welcomed at the Out of the Rain shelter. The seasonal shelter opens tomorrow, Oct. 15. It will serve youth aged 15-25 from 9:00 p.m. – 8:00 a.m. every day until April 15, 2017.
Shelter services are provided by community agencies, faith-based organizations, businesses, and individual volunteers through a coalition, led and coordinated by local charity Beacon Community Services.
“It’s a sad truth that some youth don’t have a safe, warm place to sleep, even on the coldest, wettest nights of the year,” says Beacon Community Services CEO Bob Boulter. “We work with community partners to offer that.”
Related: Ian Slipp chats with Jen, the regional director of the Greater Victoria Emergency Weather Protocol.
