More than 1,200 additional emergency shelter spaces have been identified in 70 communities, including 100 Mile House with 10 rooms, to help those in need of temporary shelter access a warm place to stay during extreme winter weather conditions.
The B.C. Liberal government will provide up to $1.3 million for the temporary shelter spaces that are available from Nov. 1 to March 31, 2013, when a weather alert is activated.
Each community decides when to issue an extreme weather alert based on current conditions and forecasts and how many spaces should be made available on a given night.
In 100 Mile House, the RCMP, the Canadian Mental Health Association – South Cariboo branch, 100 Mile District General Hospital and other agencies can refer people to these shelters for a temporary stay.
These additional spaces supplement the more than 1,600 permanent, year-round shelter beds in British Columbia, which is more than double the number of beds available in 2001.
