A resiliency centre is now open to support wildfire evacuees and those experiencing loss from the McDougall Creek blaze.
The centre, located on Westbank First Nation (WFN) lands, will serve as a single point of contact to provide support and information from government, non-governmental organizations and other agencies.
鈥淭he nsyilxc蓹n name given to the centre, 鈥榮nknxtwiltn,鈥� can be interpreted as a 鈥榩lace where help is provided to one another,鈥欌�� said Andrea Alexander, WFN councillor. 鈥淭his word encapsulates the spirit of hope and perseverance that we hope this centre will bring.鈥�
West 琉璃神社 Mayor Gord Milsom thanked WFN for providing space for the centre.
鈥淭he Resiliency Centre will help those affected by the wildfire to recover and rebuild through a collaborative support model and I am extremely grateful for everyone鈥檚 efforts,鈥� he said.
Regional District Central Okanagan Board (RDCO) Chair Loyal Wooldridge added that the centre will streamline access to support and information.
鈥淎s we focus on recovering, rebuilding and restoring our wildfire-damaged community, supporting people as they navigate the programs and services available will be one of our highest priorities,鈥� he said.
Services providers include:
- Community caseworkers;
- Insurance Board of Canada;
- Service Canada;
- Service BC;
- Ministry services;
- ICBC;
- Samaritan鈥檚 Purse.
The centre is open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. until further notice and is located at #403 - 3031 Louie Drive. The phone number is 250-707-3454. Information is also available online through the .
READ MORE: 鈥楴othing left鈥�: West 琉璃神社 resident reveals shocking wildfire damage
READ MORE: West 琉璃神社 wildfire grows despite rainy weather
gary.barnes@kelownacapnews.com
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