The ASK Wellness Society says its cooling centre on Tranquille Road has been well used since it opened last week.

CEO Bob Hughes says they were close to capacity every day of last week, as people looked to beat the heat wave, which is now into its second week.

“We’ve seen almost right away people walking down the street just needing to get out of the sun, and the need to have shade and access to water, and the misting has just been absolutely critical as a way to kind of cool off the space.”

“Our guess that we would be seeing 30 to 40 people a day is kind of on track with what we are preparing for meals.”

Speaking on NL Newsday, Hughes says it takes a whole team effort to ensure that some of the Kamloops’ most vulnerable residents are looked after during times of extreme weather.

“The Kamloops Aboriginal Friendship Centre, Interior Community Services, CSOs I mean we’ve got a community that cares, and I think we need to recognize that it isn’t just one organization that is seeing the need out there. There is a number of groups that are doing their best with varying degrees of capacity.”

Hughes says ASK Wellness has also launched a new temporary meal program for people in anticipation of the upcoming closure of The Loop drop-in centre down the block. It gives people in need a meal on weekday mornings between 10 a.m. and 12 noon.

“This is a modest effort made in response to a humanitarian crisis, and we are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our community’s most vulnerable members.”

While that meal program is expected to run until the middle of October, Hughes says he hopes there will be a longer-term solution in place by then.

“We’re very clear in saying that this is not the replacement of The Loop as a day space,” Hughes said.

“I think there has been talk of an Access Hub, but we definitely are not wanting to create a place where are able to set up their tents and hunker in for a full day. This is just not what we are equipped to do, nor is that our mandate.”

A Feb. 9 release from the City of Kamloops said the Access Hub Leadership Committee is “working together to identify the services and resources required to establish a model that is successful for the clients, operators, and community.”

The City of Kamloops says its vision for the access hub is a 24/7 location where unhoused individuals can access shelter, meals, hygienic facilities, culturally safe social and health services, amenity space, and connections to housing, supportive employment, and wellness opportunities.