Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Dylana Kneeshaw

EVACUATION ACCOMMODATION

Commercial accommodations scarce for TNRD evacuees

Jul 20, 2021 | 4:19 PM

KAMLOOPS — With 20 active evacuation orders issued within the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, as well as 26 active evacuation alerts, the TNRD is in a tight spot for where to send evacuees.

“I can say that the number of active wildfires burning within the Thompson-Nicola Regional District is largest that we have seen,” says TNRD Communications Manager Michelle Nordstrom.

So far this fire season, more than 900 properties in the region has been ordered to evacuate, and an additional 4,000 residents are on evacuation alert — including the Villages of Cache Creek and Ashcroft.

Rather than Kamloops, people are now being sent to other cities. According to Nordstrom, since the Emergency Operations Centre was activated, there have been no commercial accommodations available to use for evacuees.

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“We have a virtual reception centre in Kamloops,” she notes, “so most of our current evacuation orders that we’re issuing, we’re encouraging people to stay with friends and family if they can, and then use the virtual registration that we have available.”

With summer tourism in full swing and sports teams travelling again, the chair of the BC Hotel Association, Bryan Pilbeam, says it’s hard to secure the number of rooms needed for evacuees.

“I think the challenge is people being able to offer a committed number of rooms for an extended period. Right now, we may have certain rooms in certain hotels for certain nights, but again it’s very fluid, changing by the day, and I think that’s the biggest struggle that people are having.”

As the TNRD continues to look for accommodation options, the district is pointing evacuees to the online registration site, and hoping friends and family members will be able to help out.

“The one encouraging bit of news that I had yesterday came from the Canadian Red Cross,” says TNRD Chair Ken Gillis. “They said they’re working with us and they are trying to free up hotel rooms in Kamloops. They said they had 10 available yesterday. That was good news. But other than that, it’s Kelowna or Chilliwack.”

Even using the Sandman Centre to house evacuees as was done in 2017 isn’t an option. Gillis says COVID-19 precautions mean hundreds of people staying in close quarters would not be ideal.

“It’s dire. There’s very, very few places for people to go.”