The Town of Sidney is proceeding with plans to open an Extreme Weather Response (EWR) shelter to help those experiencing homelessness during severe winter weather.
This is good news for Alexander Finch, a volunteer for Friends of St. Andrew, a Sidney-based organization that's helped unhoused community members since 2021.
During pandemic lockdowns and upon arriving in Sidney, Finch himself was on the brink of experiencing food and housing insecurity. His current work as a communication liaison to at least eight unhoused (Friends) community members is motivated by this experience.
“When they need help with something, they have my number and we agree to meet up somewhere," he explained to PNR.
This direct line builds trust and camaraderie, strengthened by weekly get-togethers over soup and brunch for Friends and other community members.
But where does Sidney's unhoused go when it's freezing outside and there's snow and rain?
Finch says the majority of them stay in a warm location for as long as possible.
"They go there for coffee or some people will go into the bathrooms and use the dryer to dry out some of their clothes, but when all that shuts down, which is usually about 7 p.m., people just go into little corners wherever they can and get shelter."
The wind, Finch adds, is a big deal for the unhoused.
"If you're in a windy spot, it's just miserable. If you can get out of the wind, you stand a chance – that's why they find a place that's a little bit tucked in a back alley, a little niche or alcove to spend the night in."
While the town has had an extreme cold weather response plan in place since 2023, things are expanding.
The current plan states that emergency management personnel, bylaw officers and the Sidney/North Saanich RCMP will connect with at-risk community members in Sidney when temperatures drop to see to their well-being and go over safety options. Transportation is not a barrier for anyone who wants to relocate and remain at a warming station.
Contrary to numerous posts in online communities, Sidney Fire Chief Brett Mikkelsen clarified in November 2024 that the town is not sending homeless people to Victoria. Under the Assistance to Shelter Act (ASA), local police and the RCMP are the only ones who can assist or provide transportation to shelters, he said.
During severe weather, the unhoused can take a bus pass to travel to any of the 130 warming shelter locations in the city. The majority of Sidney's unhoused, however, opt to remain in the neighbourhood due to established daily routines that help them stay afloat, plus the availability of a support system like Friends of St. Andrew, which can help them with daily essentials.
The organization is relieved Sidney is finally pursuing the establishment of an Extreme Weather Response (EWR) shelter, supported by BC Housing and in partnership with a nongovernmental organization (NGO), saying the idea was brought up two years ago and was shot down by council.
"There has been a gradual shift in realizing that there's a humanitarian need," says volunteer Brian Head. "We’re all very pleased that this change came and this church has shown leadership and we are there to be supportive. We cannot run a shelter ourselves."
Reverend Kelly Duncan of St. Andrew Anglican Church says they're asking the town to coordinate with several groups that work with the under-housed population in Sidney and to think outside the box about what could be done.
"The emergency weather shelter's a low bar. It's when it's so cold outside that people are looking...that they are concerned that they might freeze to death."
She believes a town's role is to take care of the folks that live in it and that includes the unhoused.
"When it gets cold, can we not get together using all of our resources and brain power and connections to provide a safe place for people to come when it's cold outside?"
Town staff are beginning to reach out to NGOs to determine a suitable location for the emergency weather shelter.
According to Mayor Cliff McNeil-Smith, there are two primary challenges in establishing an extreme weather shelter: determining an adequate and available facility and finding a ready and willing not-for-profit organization with trained staff to operate the shelter.
“Given the wide range of initiatives the town of Sidney supports and the relative prosperity of our community, facilitating safe shelter for people experiencing homelessness in our community during extreme weather events feels like something we can and should do," he said.
To allow temporary sheltering, staff will also seek to amend the official community plan.
Under BC Housing's Extreme Weather Response Program, community representatives are required to submit their EWR plan by Sep. 30.
Council has set a goal to have an EWR shelter available when needed next winter.
