Dozens of people sheltering in Central Park who woke up Tuesday morning in soaking wet tents and sleeping bags due to flooding from heavy rain will be relocated to the Royal 颅Athletic Park parking lot.
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps said the city, sa国际传媒 Housing and several outreach agencies mobilized quickly on Tuesday. 鈥淧eople woke up this morning to absolute flooding and an untenable situation,鈥� Helps told the sa国际传媒. 鈥淧eople cannot camp in the middle of a flood.鈥�
Victoria Fire Department provided new tents and sleeping bags as well as cots to people in Central Park so they can transition to the hardscape of the Royal Athletic Park parking lot. Warm and dry supplies will also be distributed to people living in other parks, Helps said.
Helps said sa国际传媒 Housing and GSL Group, which operates the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre, are in talks about once again using the facility as a temporary shelter for people without homes. No decisions have been made.
The emergency-shelter option is available because the Western Hockey League is not expected to resume play this season. The arena was used as emergency shelter for 45 people from May to September. Many later moved to 颅supportive-housing in former hotels such as Paul鈥檚 Motor Inn.
鈥淭he fact that the province is considering it shows responsiveness to the situation on the ground here,鈥� Helps said.
Kelly Roth of the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness was in Central Park Tuesday distributing sleeping bags. She hopes to see the arena once again used for shelter.
Victoria鈥檚 Extreme Weather Protocol is not operating this year due to COVID-19, which means Victoria does not have shelter beds that open during cold or wet weather. Spaces typically used during extreme weather are already being occupied by people without homes, including 36 mats at the First Metropolitan United Church, 20 mats in a Victoria Cool Aid Society gym on Pandora Avenue and 48 beds at the My Place Transitional Home shelter.