White Rock council has approved funding for a daytime warming centre, which will once again be in operation in Centennial Park from Nov. 20 to March 15.
The majority of council voted at its regular meeting Monday to fund such a centre up to $360,000, in response to a motion from Coun. Ernie Klassen.
It was a move applauded by warming centre advocates in council chambers, who had appealed to council for such action during the question-and-answer period.
But it was a move made in anguish, as Mayor Megan Knight, echoed by some councillors, accused the provincial government of taking no responsibility for the disadvantaged in need of such a centre, and allowing White Rock to shoulder the expense for an area far in excess of city limits.
“I have half the mind of sending a bill to the province – I’m so ticked about this,” Knight said in comments before the vote.
“We as a city have a role to play here, but we need assistance from the province,” she said.
“It’s their job to be helping and supporting us to take care of those who are vulnerable. And $360,000 is a lot of money to White Rock.
“I find it really unacceptable that they’ve dumped this on us and moved on. If we put up the money, if we do it, their hands are clean.”
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Knight said she and staff have been working with the City of Surrey to find solutions for sheltering the disadvantaged during the winter for months, only to be left at a point where something needs to be done, as Klassen put it, “at the 11th hour”.
“We’ve been talking to our MLAs, we’ve been dealing with Sources, we’ve gone to every corner we can think of and, of course, now we’re out of time. So guess who’s going to be (footing) the bill? – all the taxpayers.”
Following the meeting, BC United Surrey-White Rock MLA Trevor Halford said it is “completely unacceptable” that, as of the second week of November, “we don’t have any warming space south of the Fraser.”
“This is a major ball-drop and something needs to be done about it immediately,” he told Peace Arch News, noting that he has persistently brought up the matter in the legislature.
“The City of White Rock has a small population and the province should be footing the bill for this…not the taxpayers of White Rock and Surrey.
“This is completely embarrassing on this (provincial) government.”
Klassen’s motion, which anticipates a contribution of up to half of the costs ($180,000) from the City of Surrey, includes renting and locating the warming centre trailer in the parking lot at Vine Avenue and Anderson Street, where it will be operated, as in previous years, by Engaged Communities Canada Society.
The up-front costs will come partly from the city’s 2023 operating surplus, and also as pre-approved funding from taxation from the 2024 Five-Year Financial Plan, but Klassen’s motion does not preclude public and group donations being allocated to the centre to offset city funding.
Klassen thanked advocates in the community who “continue to work on behalf of those without a roof over their heads.”
“In an ideal world this conversation would be unnecessary.” he said.
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“No doubt every person at this table and every resident of White Rock is concerned about the challenging circumstances of the most vulnerable members of our society and our community face each day.”
A high priority in the city’s strategic plan, he noted, is to “assess future location, annually seek to secure grant funding, and continue to partner with the City of Surrey to operate the warming centre each winter from November through March.”
At last week’s Leadership Prayer Breakfast, he added, participants represented all levels of government, many faith-based leaders and non-profit organizations.
“Coming from a church background, I suggested to leaders at my table that it’s time to stop praying and start doing,” he said.
“Hopefully the City of Surrey or a faith-based group from our community will volunteer their facility to operate a night-time shelter.”
Responding to discussion, including Klassen’s plea that warming centre planning in future avoid such last-minute solutions, City CAO Guillermo Ferrero pointed out that the centre will now be built into the city’s base budget, but with continued opportunity to offset costs through community donations and staff diligence in seeking applicable grants.
“If there are any groups out there or individuals who’d like to donate to this and raise money, I’d appreciate it,” Knight said. “This is a lot of money for White Rock and it’s a South Surrey situation, too.”
Coun. David Chesney said he agreed with a number of Klassen’s statements.
“It breaks my heart to see the people on our streets, sleeping,” he said. “My heart tells me we need to do something.”
But Chesney said he doesn’t know how fair it is to shoulder the cost of a daytime warming centre with no assurance that a night time shelter will also be also provided for those in need of it.
“I’m hesitant to spend that kind of money without having a back end on it – that at 10 o’clock at night we say ‘you’re on the street’,” he said.
“We’ve gone around this mulberry bush, now, for years and we seem to get absolutely nowhere…for a community of our size to take care of, basically, the south-of-the-Fraser region, doesn’t make any sense to me.”
Chesney could not get a seconder, however, for an amendment that would have White Rock fund the daytime warming centre for one month only at first, in a bid to have Surrey and other funders kick in their share.
Knight said she worried that, if White Rock took that step, and no other monies were forthcoming – with governments about to shut down for the holiday season – those in need would be literally left out in the cold for much of December.
Klassen’s motion passed with all except Chesney in support.
Coun. Christopher Trevelyan said he agreed with many of Knight and Chesney’s comments.
“I don’t really want to authorize this kind of fund out of a little, tiny city like White Rock,” he said.
But he added the idea that White Rock could be hit with extreme minus temperatures (as much as -15 C) this winter also disturbed him.
“Having people on the street in those temperatures is unacceptable, so I will, of course support the motion,” he said.
“(But) the province has given White Rock – which is, what, 5 km square, 20,000 people? – not 50 cents, not a single penny, towards this cause, and we’re supporting not just White Rock but all of South Surrey, a population of well over 100,000 people.”