Fire Evacuee Facilities Closed Down

The City of Vernon has closed down its Emergency Social Services reception centre at the Vernon Recreation Centre

The group lodging facilities at the Vernon Curling Club and the Civic Arena have also been decommissioned.

The sites had been open since July 14, helping fire evacuees, with funding provided by the province.

“It wasn’t the province’s decision. It was our decision based on facility availability. The Civic Arena needs to start making ice there, and it’s the same for the curling rink which needs to make ice for the 55 Plus Games,” says Luana Kaleikini, Vernon ESS coordinator.

Kaleikini tells Kiss FM, 1,021 evacuees registered at the Vernon centre.

Any further evacuee registrations or service extensions can be provided by appointment by calling the Vernon ESS Program to make an appointment at 250-540-4153, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

“We are looking at possibilities for facilities should we need them, if it was a local event (emergency incident),” adds Kaleikini who says sites haven’t been finalized.

She says the 500 cots used for group lodging are being stored at the City Works Yards should they be needed again.

No evacuees used the cots, preferring to billet with relatives or friends, with a few staying in hotels.

“The City of Vernon would like to express its deep appreciation of the volunteers and organizations that stepped forward to offer support when the community welcomed evacuees from areas affected by wildfires,” says a City news release.