Warming place set up to escape the cold
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The Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation is opening an overnight warming space in response to extreme cold temperatures forecast for Brandon this weekend.
A temporary warming space, located at the group’s BEEP Garage at 440 Rosser Ave., will be open from 6 p.m. this evening until 9 a.m. on Sunday, BNRC said in a news release on Friday.
Only 25 seats are available and multiple staff members and security guards will be on site to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone in the building, the release said.
A woman with a stroller walks with her children across Sixth Street at the Princess Avenue intersection while braving a temperature of -27 C on Friday afternoon. The mercury was expected to drop to at least -37 C overnight Friday, and close to -40 C tonight. (Matt Goerzen/The Brandon Sun)
“We are not able to regularly provide this service, but with temperatures like this, we couldn’t stand by and watch unhoused individuals suffer,” said Karra Burney, executive director of BNRC.
“We are not creating a new shelter — this is about filling a temporary need in the hopes of saving a few lives on what is shaping up to be the coldest night of the year,” she said in the release.
Environment Canada issued an orange-level cold warning for Westman on Thursday. Wind chills are expected to remain very cold over the weekend, dropping into the -40 C to -45 C range.
Today, the high is expected to be -29 C with a wind chill making it feel like -50 C in the morning and -38 C by the afternoon. The federal agency warns frostbite could develop on exposed skin in minutes.
In the evening, the temperature is expected to be -39 C with a wind chill of -40 C and -53 C overnight.
BNRC said Brandon’s shelter and warming centres have been notified and may refer any overflow clients to the temporary warming space.
Samaritan House Ministries Inc. operates a 41-bed Safe and Warm Shelter at 820 Pacific Ave. It’s open from 7 p.m. until 9:30 a.m. seven days per week.
People can also go to Life’s Journey — a warming centre that’s open seven days a week from 7:45 p.m. until 7:30 a.m. at 725 Princess Ave.
Ask Auntie will also be open for the unhoused community to warm up. The advocacy group operates a drop-in centre during select hours on weekdays and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m on the weekends.
Extremely cold temperatures resulted in several school closures and school bus route cancellations across Westman on Friday.
All schools in the Fort La Bosse, Turtle Mountain and Southwest Horizon school divisions were closed, with no buses running on Friday.
Brandon School Division buses outside the city weren’t operating on Friday, but all schools remained open.
School attendance was at parental discretion where travel was required.
Friday temperatures reached a high of about -28 C with a wind chill making it feel like -41 C, Environment Canada said.
» The Brandon Sun