The Mustard Seed will be operating a 30-bed extreme weather shelter at the Kamloops Alliance Church, starting on Dec. 14.

It will be open from 10 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. when the temperature drops to -10 C or below and/or there is an accumulation of 5 cm of snow on the ground.

The extreme weather shelter, which is in addition to The Mustard Seed’s operation on Victoria Street West and the temporary winter shelter they’re operating at the Kamloops Yacht Club, will be open until Feb. 28, 2023.

“The Mustard Seed is thrilled to partner with Kamloops Alliance Church. It’s wonderful to see the faith community stepping in to help address the needs of those experiencing homelessness in our city in inclement weather,” Mustard Seed Managing Director, Kelly Thomson said, in a statement.

“With the support and funding of BC Housing, we are able to provide up to another 30 beds for those in need.”

In a statement, Chris Throness, the lead pastor at Kamloops Alliance Church, said the church wanted to help care for those who are the most vulnerable in the city.

“Opening our doors for this emergency weather shelter is a practical step we can take, to share what we have been given with those who need it the most,” he said. “It is a privilege to be able to play a part and our desire is to continue to invest in the future health and vitality of Kamloops.”

Speaking on the NL Noon Report, Thomson says this shouldn’t be viewed as a sign that more churches in Kamloops will end up becoming shelters.

“Most churches aren’t really equipped building wise or security wise to do these kinds of things. There is a bit of a unique opportunity here in that the church was willing to allow some modifications to their building [in the gymnasium] which BC Housing is going to help us with,” he said.

The City of Kamloops estimates there are around 200 people in the city currently living on the streets – though that number is considered an under-estimate.

Thomson says based on the need seen less than two-weeks ago, the facility will be put to good news during the next cold snap.

“The Yacht Club was full at 20 people. Out of the Cold was full at 25 plus some people in seating chairs. Everywhere else was full,” he added. “ASK Wellness was awesome and they stepped up and opened up their foyers at Crossroads and Spero House.”

Last Tuesday, Carmin Mazzotta, the City’s Social, Housing, and Community Development Manager, said work to add an extreme weather shelter in Kamloops was underway.

“An extreme weather response shelter opens on days where the temperature drops below a predetermined threshold or where there’s a weather warning for inclement weather,” he told council.

Mazzotta also noted there have been daily coordination calls between shelter operators, non-profits, police, Kamloops city staff, BC Housing and Interior Health since the early November cold snap where they discuss street outreach efforts as well as ways to address the gaps that exist.

“We’re monitoring on a daily basis to see if there are spaces where there are openings to bring folks in, to have them warm up and be able to get in there, well, let’s get them inside,” he said.

At present, there are two temporary winter shelters in Kamloops – one at the Yacht Club on River Street with the other at the former Stuart Wood Elementary School, which is operated by Out of the Cold.