“I don’t want to sleep in the cold,” I confessed sheepishly to our team of volunteers as we discussed keeping the idea of an extreme weather shelter in Sidney front and centre in the community member’s minds. Recently, a motion that would have seen a shelter open this winter was defeated.
Our church feeds members of the local underhoused population five days a week. It is a privilege and a joy to greet these 12-20 people by name, to walk alongside them, to share a meal and to listen if they want to share how they are doing. Having offered this ministry for several years now, our volunteers have helped complete forms to regain identification, advocated for eligibility for affordable housing, taken those we serve to medical appointments, filled prescriptions and offered a listening ear when needed. All involved in this ministry are honoured to do so.
During freezing rain, snow and other extreme weather events, “sleeping rough” — an already precarious existence — can become deadly. During previous winters, our volunteers have driven around to the parks, alcoves and other places people find to try to sleep, to collect sodden and frozen bedding, wash and dry it in their homes and bring it back for the following evening. Thinking that there has to be a better way and hearing of folks in other communities that have died as a result of exposure, our volunteers began asking Sidney Town Council to consider setting up an emergency weather shelter.
Initially, we were told that the town’s extreme weather protocol didn’t need to change. During a storm, the official protocol has town officials checking on those living outside and offering them a bus ticket to Victoria, presumably so that they can find a shelter in the city. Town council was motivated to reconsider this strategy after receiving a letter, sent to all the municipalities, from the mayor of Victoria citing already crowded shelters and asking each community to take care of its own population.
Over the next few months, town staff identified all the criteria as well as funding options for the town council to consider. Eventually, a suitable location was found, run by Beacon Community Services, which would be staffing the shelter when needed. Volunteer coordination was another need identified and St. Andrew’s stepped forward to offer our services. All that was needed was a change in zoning to allow for emergency occupation.
On the third and final reading, a petition against having the shelter at the proposed site with 400 names on it was presented. Concerned community members came out in droves to the council meeting to express their opposition. Many that spoke said that they were happy for Sidney to have an emergency weather shelter, but they did not agree with the proposed location. The council vote took place at the beginning of September this year. The result of the vote was four opposed and three in favour, defeating the motion and relegating our most vulnerable community members to sleeping in the freezing cold for another winter.
Having missed the deadline for funding from BC Housing, and having no other proposed locations available, town council has let this idea drop. This is why our team has partnered with Greater Victoria Action Together and Homes for Living to organize a “camp out” in the cold on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. We’ve invited the mayor and town council to come and experience – for one night – what those we serve experience every night. We’re doing this because, in response to my confession that I really didn’t want to sleep outside, our church’s volunteers replied, “No one does.”
