Arctic outflow winds are picking up around the Lower Mainland on Wednesday, and with it, bringing frigid temperatures.
The below seasonal freeze is set to stick around for at least a week.
Forget those of us who make that dash from our house to the car, the cold weather we’ve been seeing over the past few days is going to continue to be extremely challenging for the unhoused population.
Local shelters are expecting their beds to fill up fast most nights.
“Overnight, we’re expecting to be busy, so we’ve got about 92 beds on the men’s side, up to 20 beds on the women’s side. And that allows people to come in, have, obviously, a clean, warm bed, get a shower, and also do some laundry as well,” Union Gospel Mission spokesperson Nick Wells explained.
The City of Vancouver has extended its Extreme Weather Response through Thursday due to the conditions.
Wells says it’s very important the unhoused can find a place to stay when it’s like this outside.
“Snow, for me, maybe the biggest inconvenience can be getting to work,” he said. “But for them, for our community members, it’s staying warm and staying safe.
“So, the fact that we’re able to provide that and keep doing that is always fantastic.
Wells says that like similar groups right across the region, they’re always accepting donations.
“Clothing, dry clothing to waterproof clothing would be fantastic. That’s gloves, hats, too, scarves, all that kind of stuff, because staying dry and staying warm are incredibly important to our community members,” Well added.
If you know someone who needs help finding shelter, you can find it on your city’s website or by dialling 2-1-1.