The Echen Healing Society in Quesnel has opened up a warming center during this cold snap to give people that have nowhere else to go a place to escape from the frigid temperatures.
Executive Director Chad Stump says they purchased the old Elks Hall on Anderson Drive in West Quesnel.
“We purchased the old Elks Hall and renamed it to the Echen Nen Keyoh Hall, and we provide events and provide catering services to organizations that are willing to utilize and rent the hall and use it for their gathering needs.”
He says the warming center is a partnership with the Nazko First Nation.
“The community of Nazko First Nation, Chief Leah and the Council and their Health Department, have reached out and expressed concern for their membership and the members of Quesnel that are going to be out in the cold here in this cold snap. They’ve been doing snacks and drinks and hot beverages for the patrons that come in. We were able to find some staffing that is eligible to take part in the process and help us out during the night. There are quite a few individuals that are helping and hats off to them because it’s late nights, and we have a lot of people that are just in need for the hall, and somebody to have it open and somebody to be there for an emergency, so it’s been really good.”
Stump says they don’t really have a specific temperature in mind for when the hall would be used as a warming centre.
“We threw that around last week when we were discussing what is it going to look like and I don’t think there is a magic number, I think it’s just the feeling. If it feels cold enough and the team feels that this needs to go on again this week, so there is no magic number, I guess it’s just a play it by year kind of deal. We’re following instruction from the community of Nazko and their team.”
He says a lot of people have been coming in.
“There is between 20 and 30 people. I think they got up over 30 people a couple of nights ago when it was really cold. It hasn’t been framed for Indigenous people only, it’s just for anybody that needs a warm spot to go. I know that some of the other facilities are quite backed up and a lot of room is not available for a lot of people, so we just decided to get it done and we’ll figure out details later.”
In terms of donations, Stump says nothing has been set up but he says that anyone wanting to make a small contribution can email him at [email protected].
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