A push by Kamloops to try to lower the threshold to open cold-weather shelters is going to be reviewed by the Union of BC Municipalities, with the goal of getting the province onboard with the plan as well.

Delegates to the Southern Interior Local Government Association’s convention have passed a resolution to have the province set the minimum standard to open extreme weather shelters across BC at the freezing mark – 0 C.

Councillor Dale Bass championed the effort, and says the goal of her motion was to start a conversation.

“Sometimes when you ask the province to do something that makes absolute sense to everybody else, they take forever to eventually say no, or occasionally yes,” argues Bass. “This is just getting it on a provincial agenda.”

Bass notes her recommendation is something the provincial government is already being asked to do by the BC Center for Disease Control.

“The point is: Lobby the provincial government to enforce the standards that BCCDC has established for when we open shelters to the unhoused in the winter,” Bass added.

Right now it has to be -10 C with the windchill in Kamloops, or five centimeters of snow in the forecast, before the extreme weather shelters in the city can open.

Resolutions that pass at SILGA then move on to the Union of BC Municipalities for a provincial-level overview before they’re passed on to the B.C. government.

In January, B.C.’s Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon told Radio NL that the province will work with the City, if council passed the motion.

“There are implications on the city if they were to go in that direction. There are resources required and other things they’ll need to do,” Kahlon said. “The emergency shelters, they are important but they are temporary in nature, and we need to have more permanent solutions.”

“I think if Kamloops council does pass that motion and they are interested in something more permanent, I’m happy to talk to them about locations and really that is the tough part, finding out where you want to put the housing.”