The City of Kelowna has partnered with the Gospel Mission to implement a new emergency weather response plan to help those without a home find shelter from the cold.
The measures will be activated based on the severity of the weather conditions, with three levels designed to offer increasing levels of support.
“As temperatures drop for an extended period of time—typically 48 hours or more—the city will declare an emergency weather response event, 96 hours in advance,” said Kevin Mead of Kelowna Bylaw.
The plan includes three tiers of support:
- Level 1: When temperatures reach between 0 and -9°C, the city will provide increased wellness checks and distribute warming supplies.
- Level 2: If temperatures drop to between -10 and -19°C, additional resources will be rolled out. This includes overnight warming buses, a warming tent, and 24-hour shelter intake.
- Level 3: At temperatures below -20°C, the warming buses and tent will operate 24/7, providing continuous support for those in need.
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“The challenges faced by those living outside become especially urgent during the harsh winter months,” said Carmen Rempel, Kelowna Gospel Mission executive director.
“Therefore, directly proportionate to the urgency of that need is our enthusiasm for participating in this collective work for this extreme weather response.”
The warming tent, which is part of a pilot project, will be stationed at Kelowna’s Tent City along the rail trail. The area is home to 56 per cent of the city’s homeless population.
“This tent is a temporary measure intended to provide a reprieve from the cold to no more than 50 individuals sheltering outdoors. It will operate similar to a bus. No extra belongings will be permitted inside, a code of conduct will be required, and no substance use will be allowed,” said Mead.
The city also announced that of the 315 emergency shelter beds in Kelowna, 95 per cent are already occupied, however more shelters will be available next winter.
“We have an additional 60 units at the Appaloosa site that we are working on. They won’t be ready for the immediate winter but that project is moving forward,” said Colleen Cornock, City of Kelowna Social Development Manager.
The city says it has no other supportive housing or immediate emergency shelter units in the works for the 2024-2025 winter season.
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