With winter approaching, the B.C. government says it will fund 80 extreme weather shelter spaces in Abbotsford this winter to help those whose health and safety may be threatened by cold, wet weather.
The temporary spaces will be located at Abbotsford Pentecostal Church, Cyrus Centre, Emmanuel Mennonite Church, Ross Road Community Church and Sevenoaks Alliance Church until March 31, 2015 as communities issue extreme weather alerts for their area.
“Cold temperatures combined with wet weather conditions can put vulnerable people at extreme risk so it is critical to provide a safe and warm place to stay,” said Abbotsford South MLA Darryl Plecas.
Each community decides what weather conditions warrant an alert and how many spaces to activate on a given night, depending on the capacity of existing shelters and the estimated need.
Throughout the province, the B.C. government will provide up to $1.6 million this winter to make more than 1,100 temporary emergency shelter spaces serving more than 90 communities.