The City of Terrace’s warming centre at Zion Baptist Church on Sparks St. on the Southside was not open last night and will likely be closed again tonight, the city said in a brief release late yesterday (Jan. 16).
Lack of staff to supervise those needing a warm place for the overnight hours due to the ongoing Arctic outflow was given as a reason.
In the interim, the Ksan Society’s Joe’s Place shelter, located very close to Zion Baptist, is taking in people for the overnight hours.
The city’s warming centre first opened Jan. 11 from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. in rented space at Zion Baptist following the beginning of Arctic outflow winds dropping temperatures to the -20 to -30 degree Celsius range.
From the beginning, the city said the warming centre’s operation depended upon the availability of workers from the city’s various non-profit social services agencies.
The opening of warming centres by local governments and First Nations is at their discretion but is generally triggered by Environment Canada forecasts of Arctic outflow warnings for their geographic area.
For Terrace and area the temperature criteria for an Environment Canada outflow warning is “any combination of wind speed and temperature giving a wind chill of -20 or lower for six hours or more”.
The warming centre was originally to be open from Jan. 11 to Jan. 13 but that period has now been extended.
The provincial emergency management and climate readiness ministry is providing the city with up to $9,100 for the period from Jan. 11 to Jan. 18 for rent and other expenses.