Over the weekend, as temperatures dipped well below zero and the power was out in various spots along the B.C. Coast, including in Squamish and Whistler, the resort opened a warming shelter, but the District did not.
The Squamish Helping Hands shelter is open to adults only.
A few residents reached out to The Chief to ask if a centre was open here and to ask why not.
The lowest temperature in Whistler Feb. 9 was -12 °C and felt -20°C with the windchill, according to Environment Canada.
As of Saturday afternoon, 890 customers in Whistler were without power.
Some remained in the dark for 16 hours.
The resort’s Emergency Social Services at Myrtle Phillip Community School set up a reception centre. "Those without power or a place to stay tonight can use this temporary facility for lodging," the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) announced on its Facebook page.
In Squamish, the temperature hit a low of -8°C, and with our wind, the windchill was at -20°C. The power was out for some in town for 12 hours.
Power is out at the #Squamish airport #BCStorm pic.twitter.com/3ISFPuuaj8
— Jason Ross (@Squamishweather) February 9, 2019
The Brackendale area saw the most power outages with 1,628 customers affected. Around 1,300 were affected by the storm in the Valleycliffe area.
Mayor Karen Elliott told The Chief in an email Monday that provincial emergency funding allows municipalities to open warming centres during prolonged outages with extreme weather conditions when residential power restoration is uncertain.
In Squamish, this would likely be set up at Brennan Park Recreation Centre. But on Saturday, the determination was that it wasn't needed.
"Through communication with BC Hydro on Saturday, the District had been given positive indications that power would be restored relatively quickly, and would not remain off overnight," Elliott said, adding that locals seem to have taken advantage of District facilities during the cold spell.
"Attendance was noticeably high at the Squamish Public Library and Brennan Park Recreation Centre. These are open facilities where people can stay warm, access Wi-Fi, and use the amenities," she said.
Elliott also noted that generally speaking, the provincial government and the District encourage residents to be prepared to take care of themselves for at least 24 hours in an emergency situation.
"We are fortunate to have such a supportive community; we heard of many offers of ‘a warm place to wait it out’ from residents who had power, to residents who didn’t. This weekend’s storm is a good reminder though for us all to be prepared, and check in on our neighbours and the vulnerable members of our community, to ensure they are safe."
