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Lighthouse offers warmth during frigid days

Dec 8, 2016 | 11:38 AM

Frontline workers in the Battlefords will transport those on the street to the local shelter if it is too cold, but according to the manager, the shelter isn’t just for the homeless.

In a meeting yesterday, the Lighthouse Serving the Battlefords’ shelter staff, along with RCMP and the Fire Department, agreed when temperatures drop to minus 32 degrees or colder for more than two hours, frontline workers should transport those on the street to the shelter.

According to shelter manager, Shylo Bolig, not only will the RCMP transport people even if it is colder than minus 32 degrees, but a person doesn’t have to be homeless to use the facilities.

“If they are just coming through and they are just stuck at the moment and they need to come in and warm-up, the coffee maker is always on,” Bolig said. “If someone needs to make a phone call for a ride because maybe they were out a Christmas party, they are by all means welcome to do that here.”

Bolig added there is more than enough room for those to spend the night. The shelter can house 35 people in beds and another 60 people in the dining room. The manager said the shelter is averaging roughly 25 people over the last two nights and since the lighthouse opened almost two years ago, the most she has seen stay at the facility on one night is 35.

According to Bolig, Social Services also attended the meeting and was concerned about who will be paying for all these stays.

“I just kind of told [the Social Services representative] ‘well whatever, we’re still going to take them,’” Bolig said. “I can’t turn them away because it’s cold.”

Bolid added the Lighthouse is the only shelter in the area, so they have to keep their doors open 24 hours a day.

Bolid said the RCMP use the shelter as an alternative for putting people into the drunk tank. Intoxicated people are allowed to stay the night so long as they aren’t out of control. 

 

Greg Higgins is battlefordsNOW’s city municipal affairs and health reporter. He can be reached at ghiggins@jpbg.ca or tweet him @realgreghiggins.