The City of Victoria faces a critical situation as emergency warming centres remain open for the ninth consecutive night due to persistent freezing temperatures. Fire Chief Dan Atkinson emphasizes the dire need for more staffing resources and provincial support, stating that the city's shelters are at capacity and leaving vulnerable individuals exposed to dangerous conditions. He highlights the physical and mental toll of prolonged exposure to extreme cold and criticizes the systemic failures contributing to the housing and shelter crisis.
The City of Victoria is heading into the ninth consecutive night of opening up emergency warming centres as freezing temperatures continue.“We are at the breaking point and we need more staffing resources. We need the province to step up and do more,” said Victoria Fire Chief Dan Atkinson.“There’s no capacity,” said Atkinson.
For people like Cam, the city’s warming centre is critical to surviving the night. But it’s not guaranteed there will be space for him to get in. “I think this demonstrates a failure at many different levels,” he added. “We’ve got insufficient housing options and shelter for the need in Victoria, and we need to do better. The province needs to do better.”
VICTORIA EMERGENCY WARMING CENTRES HOMELESSNESS PROVINCE STAFFING SHORTAGES
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