A late motion was added to Victoria City Council’s agenda on Thursday after Mayor Lisa Helps recommended that showers in Royal Athletic Park be made available for people living outside.
According to the motion, there is not enough shower capacity or hours available at Our Place in order to serve the homeless community amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The motion, put forward by Helps, reads that “access to showers has been identified as a critical need by both service providers and people living outside.”
With Royal Athletic Park currently open for public use during the day, the motion suggests that the showers could be made available during this time as well.
An alternative suggestion is put forward in the motion as well that would entail placing a shower trailer in the parking lot at Royal Athletic Park for a temporary period.
The recommendation, if supported by council, would direct staff to open up the showers for public use or install the temporary shower trailer in order to help fill the need of the homeless community.
The motion emphasizes that any additional costs required for cleaning the shower areas should be allocated from the federal-provincial “restart” funding.
Victoria City Council will discuss the motion at a committee of the whole on Oct. 15.
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Graham Cox
