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Cranbrook, BC (December 5, 2024) – As the weather chills and the snow arrives, the challenges of living unhoused multiply. Meeting basic needs becomes a daily hardship, and having access to appropriate shelter becomes a must.

In British Columbia, the provision of emergency shelter for unhoused individuals falls under the authority of the provincial government, but, like most social challenges, finding solutions that meet the needs of the community requires collaboration between all levels of government, non-profit organizations, and community groups. 

Under BC Housing, there are three types of emergency shelters: 

• year-round shelters, 
• temporary shelters, and 
• extreme weather shelters

The decision to open or close shelters, particularly in winter or during times of crisis, are influenced by several factors, including weather conditions, the number of people in need, available resources and health and safety concerns.

In Cranbrook, there is currently a women’s shelter and a temporary shelter. The temporary homeless shelter is a combination of 45 longer term rooms and 17 overnight rooms. During the winter months, the shelter expands from 8 to 17 overnight rooms. The temporary shelter is accessed on a first come, first serve basis. Community Connections Society is the operator and oversees the management of the temporary shelter.

The City of Cranbrook has also worked with BC Housing, ANKORS East and Christ Church Anglican to offer an overnight shelter that provides life-saving spaces during extreme weather events. From November 4 to April 15, the shelter can be activated when the temperature is forecasted to reach -15 Celsius or below in a 24-hour period. The shelter is open 7:00 pm until 8:30 am. This is the second year of operating the Extreme Weather Shelter in Cranbrook.

During the day when the extreme weather shelters are closed, coordinated efforts between a range of service providers work to ensure that every person in need has a warm place to be throughout the extreme weather event. The City also provides support to those who need it during these extreme events, by offering space in both the Cranbrook Public Library and Western Financial Place as warming centres for those who need it during the day. The library is open until 8pm Monday through Thursday and until 5pm Friday through Sunday. Western Financial Place is open from 6am to 8pm daily excluding any statutory holidays.

Cranbrook will continue to work towards finding an appropriate space for a temporary winter shelter to open 24/7 during the winter months and addressing current gaps on the housing continuum.

If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact Polly Sutherland @ 250-421-4949.