The Salvation Army is getting some funding for an emergency homeless shelter from the provincial government that will allow it to remain open daily during the winter season.
Funnelled out of B.C. Housing, $71,909 has been committed for the shelter, which will go towards it's operation, including staffing, equipment and meals.
"For the last number of years, the salvation army has run an extreme weather shelter here in Cranbrook where we have men and women in our facility," said Capt. Kirk Green, with the Salvation Army.
The shelter is run out of the Kootenay Valley Community Church location at 533 Slater Road across the railroad tracks.
The funding, which is a part of the Extreme Weather Response Program, will help provide a place for homeless men and women to sleep and stay warm, with access to meals and showers.
Kootenay East MLA Bill Bennett said the EWRP funding is important because it usually comes with some strings attached.
“In bigger places, BC Housing has this provincial policy that requires shelters to only be open when weather conditions cross a certain threshold, but in those bigger places, even the size of Kamloops, Kelowna and Prince George, there are other options for [homeless] people,” Bennett said.
“There are no other options in Cranbrook and BC Housing, to their credit, accepted the argument and has been steadfast.”
The shelter will be open from Nov. 1 to March 31.