Clients of the Unitarian Shelter on Townsite can now arrive at 1 p.m. to beat the heat. (Spencer Sterritt/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Spencer Sterritt

beat the heat

Overnight shelter opening earlier as record-breaking heat hits area

Jun 25, 2021 | 2:21 PM

NANAIMO — The doors of a Nanaimo overnight shelter are opening earlier to help clients get out of the hot sun.

Kevan Griffith, coordinator of the Unitarian Shelter on Townsite Rd., said they wanted to help people who can’t find much shade as temperatures exceed 35 degrees.

“The people who stay at the shelter can come back at 1 p.m. as opposed to 5 p.m. and get out of the worst of the heat at the height at the day,” Griffith told NanaimoNewsNOW.

Griffith said they’ll open the doors earlier for as long as necessary.

Meal options inside the shelter are changing to cool salads.

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Roughly 30 people can stay overnight at the shelter.

Griffith said the several hundred people experiencing homelessness on Nanaimo streets are trying to stay near the water, which is only a few blocks away from the shelter.

“As long as you’re near the water you can cool down pretty easy but unfortunately not all of them are taking that advice and instead spend time on sidewalks.”

The current heat wave is expected to last throughout the next week, reaching highs of 37 degrees by Monday June 28 before slowly declining.

Dr. Mike Benusic, regional medical health officer with Island Health, said a key way to get through a heat wave is to “come together as a community to support those who are vulnerable.”

This also includes the young, the elderly and anyone with health issues.

He said mental health and substance use teams are “gearing up” to directly provide supports to clients.

Anyone inside is urged to keep their curtains or blinds closed, open windows at night to let in the slightly cooler air and drink lots of water before feeling thirsty to ward off dehydration.

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spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @SpencerSterritt