乌鸦传媒

With temperatures heading towards -30 C, one Salmon Arm man couldn乌鸦传媒檛 wait another day for an overnight emergency shelter.

Emphasizing he doesn乌鸦传媒檛 want to be in the spotlight, the man spoke on condition that his name not be used.

He had been following news regarding the permanent closure of the Salvation Army乌鸦传媒檚 Lighthouse emergency shelter in May 2022 and BC Housing乌鸦传媒檚 months-long search for a site. He was upset to read that BC Housing recently said it was looking at all options.

乌鸦传媒淪o as the ship is sinking, we乌鸦传媒檙e investigating all options乌鸦传媒�,乌鸦传媒� he remarked.

乌鸦传媒淚 know there乌鸦传媒檚 a gentleman that said 乌鸦传媒業乌鸦传媒檒l do it. I乌鸦传媒檝e got the land, I乌鸦传媒檒l get it serviced. We乌鸦传媒檒l bring in portables.乌鸦传媒� A few weeks we were looking into that. We could have had housing set up, the camp-style housing within three weeks乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淚n our culture, we乌鸦传媒檝e decided BC Housing is responsible and I think they have 1,000 per cent dropped the ball. How is it we can have this over here (he points to the tent encampment) at minus 30. It乌鸦传媒檚 wrong, it乌鸦传媒檚 so wrong.乌鸦传媒�

He said he乌鸦传媒檚 aware homelessness is a complex issue and there乌鸦传媒檚 no pat answer.

乌鸦传媒淏ut this, this, is ridiculous.乌鸦传媒�

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As the temperature grew colder earlier in the week he became more and more concerned. He checked out a possible place for an insulated sea can he had in his yard, but he said his spouse talked him out of it.

乌鸦传媒淪he said, 乌鸦传媒榯he liability, we could lose everything.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淭hat乌鸦传媒檚 sad, that we乌鸦传媒檙e liability-driven,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 about liability. Are you kidding me?乌鸦传媒�

He said one solution could be for the provincial government to set up a mechanism to cover liability so local groups could get together and solve such problems.

He was feeling conflicted that day and spoke to someone else who also warned of liability. He then called his son, who works with unhoused people in another community. His son said there乌鸦传媒檚 not that much liability and he had to do it.

乌鸦传媒淪omebody乌鸦传媒檚 got to do something.乌鸦传媒�

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At that moment on Dec. 20, he received a call from Ben乌鸦传媒檚 Towing. Manager Rachel Brown was calling at the end of her work day about something else, but he asked if the company乌鸦传媒檚 truck was available. He explained what he was thinking and she didn乌鸦传媒檛 hesitate. 乌鸦传媒榃e乌鸦传媒檙e on it.乌鸦传媒�

Three employees worked on the project until after 9 that night, he said.

乌鸦传媒淭hey actually had to use a tow truck to pull the truck away from the trailer they needed, because that truck wouldn乌鸦传媒檛 start. And then the container was frozen to the ground. But they got it down here. So they were just unbelievable. They got it down here, got it set up.乌鸦传媒�

Brown said the drivers are awesome and deserve credit.

乌鸦传媒淓verybody was pretty excited to do something like this.乌鸦传媒�

The 40-foot sea can container now sits across 3rd Street SE from the tent encampment, equipped with a generator. It contains chairs and couches, and people bring their own bedrolls.

The next need was portable toilets, which were provided thanks to another business person who also requested anonymity. He provided fuel for the generator as well.

乌鸦传媒淚f that was somebody乌鸦传媒檚 dog, it would have had a shelter,乌鸦传媒� he remarked.

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Dave Byers, who formerly worked at the Lighthouse shelter, also stepped up. He volunteered to oversee half of the 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. shift. He said about 12 people showed up Dec. 21, some coming and going. Neither drugs nor alcohol were permitted inside the sea can.

乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e just doing what needs to be done. Everybody has dropped the ball. I can乌鸦传媒檛 believe we seem to treat other sectors of our population and our dogs and cats, better than people living on the streets. I just can乌鸦传媒檛 believe in Canada we came to this,乌鸦传媒� Byers said.

He emphasized the need for a permanent shelter that must be set up next year well before the cold weather hits.

BC Housing stated on Dec. 19 that it has signed a four-month lease for a shelter site that will open in early January 2023 and may have more than the 16 beds the former Lighthouse shelter had. More details are expected within a week.

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At the new Caf茅 at the Lighthouse, which is a warming centre in the former shelter building, patrons look happy. It乌鸦传媒檚 currently open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. On Dec. 22, several people were sitting around a table which held an abundance of baked goods. Lieut. Joel Torrens of the Salvation Army noted the caf茅 has a fridge, microwave, television, piano, guitar, showers, laundry and a small hair salon.

Seated at the table is Dave Adams, who expressed his appreciation for the sea can.

乌鸦传媒淚 think it乌鸦传媒檚 highly commendable what they did. And they did it at their own risk乌鸦传媒� We乌鸦传媒檝e been asking the council there, are you going to open up a shelter? Before the snow even fell, all we乌鸦传媒檝e heard is, we乌鸦传媒檙e talking about it, for months now. It乌鸦传媒檚 bloody cold out there and it乌鸦传媒檚 probably saving lives.乌鸦传媒�

Asked if he was comfortable in the sea can, he replied: 乌鸦传媒淐omfortable, as in I didn乌鸦传媒檛 freeze to death.乌鸦传媒�

He added he is grateful for community members.

乌鸦传媒淥n the flip side, the amount of community spirit the town has shown in the last while has been impressive.乌鸦传媒�

A woman named Debbie said she had a good sleep in the sea can. She乌鸦传媒檚 also grateful for the caf茅.

乌鸦传媒淥h yes. Where else would we go?乌鸦传媒�

She and others said they乌鸦传媒檙e thankful for the firewood that乌鸦传媒檚 been dropped off on the pallets by the tents, and they would appreciate more if it乌鸦传媒檚 available.

The man who owns the sea can said he remembers well the wildfire of 1998 that threatened Salmon Arm. He recalls the unity of the community, working against a common enemy.

乌鸦传媒淲e did what made sense, not just what was driven by liability concerns,乌鸦传媒� he said.

He乌鸦传媒檇 like to see the community have a real conversation about how people can work together so Salmon Arm will have an emergency shelter.

乌鸦传媒淥r people will die.乌鸦传媒�

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