'Out of the Rain' youth shelter opens in Victoria
A seasonal shelter has reopened for young people in Victoria who have nowhere to stay during the region's coldest and wettest months.
The "Out of the Rain" shelter in the Fernwood area opened on Friday and will run until April 15.
The shelter, operated by Beacon Community Services, is open for people aged 15 to 25 from 8:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. daily. Pets are also welcome.
"There are still far too many cold, hungry, vulnerable young people in unsafe conditions on the street," said Tricia Gueulette, CEO of Beacon Community Services, in a release Friday.
"Every year for more than 20 years, we’ve opened the Out of the Rain shelter to help keep them safe, warm, and dry," she said.
The shelter can host up to 25 people, and staff from Beacon Community Services will offer meals and can recommend community supports to youth.
This year, the organization will also be running an outreach van, donated by the B.C.-based Aragon Properties.
The van will be used for several purposes, including helping youth reach the shelter, connecting users with community resources and helping youth move their belongings if they find housing.
"We encourage these youth to hope and dream for a better life," said Jenn Mortimer, manager of homeless prevention programs at Out of the Rain.
"But that has to also be backed by practical supports," she said. "The vehicle will be a really important tool. We’re delighted that Aragon Properties is supporting us with this gift."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.