The former #2 Fire Hall on Victoria Rd. near Esplanade will host a warming centre starting mid-December, adding to other services available in the city. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

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Two new warming centres opening in Nanaimo

Dec 13, 2023 | 2:47 PM

NANAIMO — Two local non-profits have answered the call for more warming centre options through the winter.

The Island Crisis Care Society (ICCS) will operate a daily warming centre at the former location of the Nanaimo Bakery & Cafe (2025 Bowen Rd.) seven days a week from noon until 7 p.m., starting on Jan 2, 2024.

The Nanaimo 7-10 Club will begin a daily warming centre inside the ground floor of the old #2 Fire Hall at the corner of Victoria Cres. and Cavan St. in about a week’s time.

Activities will be financed through the City of Nanaimo.

7-10 Club Society board chair Gord Fuller told NanaimoNewsNOW they’ll run 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days per week.

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“We’ve done a number of warming centres and extreme weather centres for the City of Nanaimo. It’ll give people a warm place to go and they will be better able to tie into the shelters to see if spaces are available then we can get them to the shelters as well.”

Fuller said they are hoping to open their doors by Sunday, Dec. 17, but ongoing construction at the site may delay the opening until Dec. 22.

Fuller said hours of operation differ from Risebridge, who are open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Prideaux St., in a bid to provide some more options at different times of day.

Risebridge received up to $230,000 in City funding to operate through March 31, the same end date for the Nanaimo 7-10 Club and the ICCS’s warming centre.

Fuller added their location at the former fire hall came about through the owner’s generosity.

“We will be paying rent and the City will be providing funds for that. We’ll do what food we can, we won’t have a kitchen in there but it’ll be pre-made food that we’ll do down there. We’ll try and feed people, keep them warm, if we get clothing donated we’ll hand those out.”

Fuller conceded some may be upset with an additional warming centre in an area already saturated with social disorder, substance use and mental health challenges.

Fuller said warming centres save lives and provide those who use the service to have improved contact with outreach workers who can move them into other partnerships.

“The neighbourhood will have my phone number personally and if they have any concerns then I can bring them to the staff. I’ve been yelled at before…if people just want to call and rail at me, that’s fine. Hopefully, we will be able to mitigate any issues that the neighbourhood has.”

Combined, the three centres are expected to provide shelter and meet the basic needs of approximately 138 unhoused individuals at a given time during cold weather conditions.

Over 15,000 shelter and warming centre spaces were used in Nanaimo last winter.

A full list of day-use spaces, emergency shelters and emergency food/shower services is available on the City of Nanaimo’s website.

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