‘These people are human beings’: Sidney greenlights new extreme weather shelter

A pilot warming shelter that was held last year was met with success

‘These people are human beings’: Sidney greenlights new extreme weather shelter Published 8:15 am Thursday, July 16, 2026 At the July 13 council meeting, Sidney council members voted 6-1 in favour of approving a temporary use permit for an extreme weather response (EWR) shelter at St. Andrew Anglican Church on Fourth Street after a successful trial run last year.

The proposal builds on the warming centre held at the Sidney/North Saanich Library, which operated without incident over seven nights and served 15 people, mostly older adults. The EWR shelter offers some advantages to the warming centre by providing sleeping mats and a warm meal in a more structured overnight setting, with no re-entry during overnight hours to support safety. The shelter will be operated by Beacon Community Services and will open only on nights when extreme winter weather poses a health risk to people experiencing homelessness.

Operational and staffing costs will be covered by BC Housing. During a public engagement period, the permit was met with opposition from the surrounding community, including a petition signed by over 130 people. Residents said they were worried about safety and disorder in the area, raising concerns that the temporary shelter would attract criminality or people with mental health issues.

Council members, however, argued that many of the people who use the temporary shelter are already Sidney residents. They also clarified that the permit is temporary and is only used for a few nights over the winter, adding that the first pilot program had no incidents. “These people are human beings, and human beings live in residential areas.

And just because they’re having some difficulty in their lives, doesn’t mean that they should be shunned or banished from our community,” said Coun. Terri O’Keeffe. Coun.

Chad Rintoul was the lone dissenter to the motion. Although not against the shelter, he said he wanted more time hosting the warming centre at the library to better assess the situation and hear from the community, rather than jumping into creating a shelter at the church. The shelter would likely run from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. on the nights it is open.