Vancouver Island’s Shelter System: Rigged Against the Vulnerable
- Admin
- 7 hours ago
- 1 min read
On Vancouver Island, where winters are defined by relentless rain, high humidity, and bone-chilling dampness, the system for opening extreme weather shelters is fundamentally flawed. Today’s conditions in Parksville exemplify this: temperatures hover around 6°C, but with 100% humidity and winds making it feel like 0.5°C, outdoor survival is unbearable for the unhoused. Yet, shelters remain closed because government thresholds prioritize freezing temperatures over the real dangers of wet cold.
According to BC’s guidelines, communities coordinate with BC Housing to activate Extreme Weather Response (EWR) shelters during alerts, typically when lows reach 0°C or colder, or with wet, snowy, or windy conditions. On the Island, regional criteria are stricter: in the Regional District of Nanaimo, activation requires -4°C or below, or 0°C with a weather warning. In Comox Valley, it’s similar—0°C with alerts or -4°C forecasts. These benchmarks, set for drier interiors, ignore coastal realities where hypothermia strikes in damp conditions above freezing.
This rigged setup leads to inconsistency: shelters open sporadically, leaving people exposed on “mild” but miserable days. With no precipitation today but saturated air amplifying cold, lives are at risk. It’s time for all-weather shelters— year-round and no threshold havens —to end this failure and provide humane protection.
Robin Campbell
Manna Homeless Society
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Manna Homeless Society
PO Box 389
Errington BC VOR 1VO
