Nanaimo cold weather shelter staying open longer

NANAIMO — The extreme cold weather shelter is staying open two weeks longer for the first time ever.

Shelter coordinator Kevan Griffith said they can afford to stay open in the bottom of the First Unitarian Church until April 14 instead of March 31 due to “fiscal responsibility and generous donations” from other churches and concerned citizens.

“We just really tightened our belts this year as far as looking for better deals. We were certainly helped out by our community partners,” he said.

The shelter is now listed as a cold weather shelter, which means the City of Nanaimo pays for it instead of the province. Griffith said their operations won’t change over the next two weeks.