Vancouver women’s non-profit in Downtown Eastside setting up cooling stations

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — A local women’s non-profit is rolling out their resources to keep people cool through B.C.’s heatwave.

Janice Abbot, the CEO of Atira in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, says they’ve been busy the last few days preparing for this heatwave.

“The single-room occupancy hotels are insufferable when it’s 22 degrees — never mind this hot,” she said. “So in the bigger hotels, we purchased air conditioners and fans, bought water, freezies, just in an effort to try and help people keep cool.”

Atira has set up two cooling stations.

For women who aren’t in one of their living spaces, Betty’s Boutique on Main and Cordova will be open until 11 p.m.

Sister Square, a women-only overdose prevention site at Jackson and Powell, is also an outdoor 24-hour cooling station.

But for those who can’t afford to keep their homes cool, Abbot adds they have a grant system in place.

“For women and kids who are living in the private sector and who may be paying their own utilities bills, we have grants and rent supplements and housing supplements that we can assist women to help keep them housed. And that includes the ability to help with utilities payments.”

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Abbot is also one of several advocates in the area demanding the reopening of Oppenheimer Park near East Cordova Street and Powell Street.

“I think at this time of the year, it’s really important to remember how few public spaces there are down here … it’s really important for the city to get some of those public spaces open and accessible to people,” she said.

Abbot says while the park can provide some shade — especially during soaring temperatures this week — it has been sitting empty since a large tent encampment was cleared out last May.

The next closest park is Maclean Park in Strathcona, more than 850 metres away.

The Park Board has refused to comment, but the City of Vancouver has said the park’s reopening is “imminent,” but won’t happen this weekend and won’t happen because of the heat.

– With files from Charlie Carey