Sidney residents will have a chance next month to share their thoughts on a proposed extreme weather shelter at an independent living facility for seniors.
The town is considering changes to zoning and its Official Community Plan that would allow for a shelter at Wakefield Manor, at 9924 Third St., when an extreme weather response is triggered.
A public hearing is scheduled for Sept. 8.
The ground-floor space in Wakefield Manor, an apartment complex for those aged 55 and up, is rarely used by residents and has a separate entrance, said Tricia Gueulette, CEO of Beacon Community Services, which operates the building. Locked doors separate the main building from the space that would be used.
The space has a kitchen and a gathering space, and it would remain available to residents most of the time, Gueulette said.
Sidney Fire Chief Brett Mikkelsen estimated a shelter would only be in use about eight to 10 nights per year and, like other extreme weather shelters, would open from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Extreme weather response shelters are funded by B.C. Housing. They are activated when extreme winter weather threatens the health and safety of homeless people. Sidney does not currently have any extreme weather shelters.
Mikkelsen said the town began looking for a site after the need was raised by community members and the City of Victoria asked other municipalities to do their part to provide shelter.
Sidney looked for a space that could be funded by B.C. Housing, run by a non-profit and was up to fire and building codes. Wakefield Manor meets the criteria, Mikkelsen said.
The space shares no common area or lobby with residents of the building, he said.
At any given time, there are about 10 to 15 people living in Sidney without homes, Mikkelsen said. They tend to be older people who have chosen to distance themselves from the downtown core, he said.
The town has received several letters opposing the proposed shelter site, many of which mistakenly suggest the shelter would occupy a shared common space with residents of Wakefield Manor and that it would be open more frequently than an extreme weather shelter.
Concerns range from the impact on property values to the potential for people to become entrenched around the site.
Mikkelsen said he has tried to explain the plan and clarify misconceptions.
Some people heard the word shelter and immediately associated the proposal with the encampment on Pandora Avenue in Victoria, which is not what is being proposed in Sidney, he said.
Municipalities have a legislated requirement to identify and mitigate risks to people and that’s what Sidney is trying to do, he said.
Some of those who would use the shelter during extreme weather alerts if it goes ahead may struggle with addictions and mental-health challenges, Mikkelsen said.
“But their primary crisis when it’s freezing is staying warm enough to get through the night,” he added.
He suspects the council chamber would be filled with opponents of a shelter, no matter where it’s proposed, Mikkelsen said.
“You’re never going to make everyone happy in this circumstance,” he said.
