Province will shelter anyone who needs it during cold snap, minister says
Victoria Welland | CBC News | Posted: February 2, 2023 7:44 PM | Last Updated: February 2, 2023
'If someone wants a bed, I promise that they will have a bed'
The Nova Scotia government is promising every unhoused person in the province a warm place to sleep on Friday and Saturday night as the coldest weather in years sets in.
"If someone needs a bed, we will have a bed for them," said Community Services Minister Karla MacFarlane.
Outreach workers, street navigators, and search and rescue teams will identify anyone who is in need of a warm place to sleep, she said.
Those in need of shelter do not need to worry about being turned away due to overcapacity, MacFarlane said.
"It may be that we have to drive them to another shelter, and may be that we have to put them up in a hotel for an evening or two. Whatever it takes. But if someone wants a bed, I promise that they will have a bed," she said.
The shelters are currently set to open on Friday and stay open until Sunday, but MacFarlane said those times could be extended if the weather forecast changes.
On Wednesday, the province and other community organizations shared a list with CBC detailing shelters that will be open this weekend. The Department of Community Services tweeted an update Thursday on how people will be transported to the shelters.
MacFarlane said emergency shelters open if the temperature dips to -15 degrees or below, but she is open to re-evaluating that threshold.
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