The Bulkley Valley Harm Reduction Society’s temporary warming shelter opened on Sunday ahead of a meeting last night (Monday) hosted by the Town of Smithers.
The shelter is located at the intersection of Queen Street and Third Avenue where Fabrications was located, and will be operating until March next year with funding from B.C. Housing.
About 100 people attended the meeting at the Smithers Christian Reformed Church B.C. Housing and the society having a chance to explain their plans to the public.
Shelter Program Manager Billie Kennedy said the society started from a group of people who were either professionally or on the side helping those in the tent encampment.
“A lot of the concerns and thoughts that people in the community have brought up to us has really helped to solidify our model and be really thorough with our planning process,” she said.
Kennedy added when the society started in March, the Fabrications building was the only one available which had the correct zoning to run the shelter.
The society also planned on having 25 beds available but were limited to eight due to the building’s ten-person capacity limit.
“Within three hours of opening our doors, our capacity was filled. What was surprising was a lot of the folks who came to us were those were part of what’s called the hidden homeless population,” said Kennedy.
She explained those are people who are often missed in homeless counts, living in vehicles, or are camping alone away from the encampment.
Smithers Mayor Gladys Atrill said B.C. Housing is still working on a permanent shelter on Alfred Avenue near town hall.
“The Alfred Avenue building is expected to accommodate all that are in need. That means the temporary shelter should not be needed,” she said.
Atrill added when the new building is complete, there will no longer be need for the tent encampment near Veterans Park.
The shelter on Third Avenue is operated 24/7 with two trained staff members on site providing a place to stay to warm up, rest, have a hot meal, and connect with support services.
Community members at the meeting voiced split opinions during the public comment period with some only opposing due to where the temporary shelter is located.
“B.C. Housing has moved to this located quickly. I think to keep people close to the resources like Salvation Army, why not keep them down by the encampment?” said Scott Olesiuk.
Dr. Wouter Morkel was also at the meeting who runs a practice in the new building next door who said he was not consulted.
“The first day I walked in there, they explained to me they were planning to set up a safe inhalation tent on the property and I was gob smacked to hear that because Third Avenue is an artery that connects two schools,” he said.
“All though I know they’re trying to do good work, I don’t think that’s the spot for it and I don’t think the process has been transparent.”
Another practicing doctor in the building, Dr. Matt Dykstra, also opposed the warming shelter.
“Our entrance comes in from that side alleyway directly facing the proposed shelter and am particularly concerned in the early mornings when my female staff members open our shop,” he said.
Dr. Jodi Preto who works in the hospital emergency room had an opposite response.
“There is no question that this is an absolutely necessary temporary shelter for this winter that is here right now,” she said.
“It is very difficult to have patients come into the department, be able to treat their ailment of that night very temporarily, and then have to discharge them into temperatures of -20 to -30.”
Council added the meeting was for discussion and no decisions were made.
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