With temperatures bitterly cold, the City of Williams Lake has set up a daytime warming area in Boitanio Park.
Chief Administrative Officer Gary Muraca said concerns were raised by some community partners about how to keep the vulnerable population safe.
Muraca said just like they had done last year tarps were installed yesterday, (February 8th) at the Boitanio Park picnic shelter which will be kept warm by heaters.
“So it will be open from 8 am to 5 pm 7 days a week for the next couple of weeks or until the conditions improve. Then of course after 5 o’clock the group is working on plans to make sure that this population has places to go when the temperatures are the coldest which is at night. This is just somewhere for them to go during the day when wind chills are up and they’re in the area.”
Muraca explained what happens before it shuts down at 5 o’clock.
“Support services will be going to the warming shelter and talking to them and saying what their options are after 5 o’clock and explaining the rules of those facilities if they want to go to these facilities and what the expectations for them to go these facilities.”
Muraca said places like the library and the Salvation Army where they could go are not readily available anymore because of the pandemic.
He added the daytime warming area will not solve all the issues but it will be a little more comfortable for those seeking shelter from the cold.