Kelowna’s homeless community at risk from Arctic blast

With -20 C nights in the offing, staff at Kelowna, B.C.’s Gospel Mission are mobilizing to protect the community’s unhoused population.

“I wouldn’t want to be sleeping unsheltered in these mild temperatures, but certainly it becomes life-threatening when we see these -20 C temperatures,” the mission’s director of resource development Trevor McKnight said.

On Thursday, Environment Canada is predicting an overnight low temperature in Kelowna of -21 C. The following daytime high is an expected -16 C.

With that in mind, the push to get people protected from the elements is in high gear.

“Outreach members are going to be increasing their availability in the community and providing cold weather gear and supplies for people who are living unsheltered.”

McKnight said last summer’s devastating wildfires have helped them prepare for this wintry event.

“We were able to recoup a number of blankets that were donated in and they were donated on to us,” he said. “So we have a good supply of blankets and sleeping bags as well as tents that we can provide to people who are living unsheltered, just to provide them with at least some shelter and some warmth during these really deep cold events.”

2:48 More people falling into homelessness for the first time says Kelowna’s Gospel Mission

These items may be distributed through outreach workers, who will be out in greater force in the day ahead.

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“They’ll go out more often in their van, they’ll look for people who look like they might be in distress, and they’ll seek to meet their needs or direct them towards other caregivers or providers in the community where they might be able to get the support that they need,” McKnight said.

Starting Thursday, the mission-run Bay Avenue shelter will have an additional five beds for those who need one.

“That’s one way that we can support these five more people to get off the street and hopefully find a warm place to be during the cold,” he said.

While five extra shelter beds are welcome this time of year, they aren’t going to meet the needs of the community. Tiny homes are on their way, though from progress on the site witnessed on Monday morning, they are not yet near completion.