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.
“The nsyilxcən name given to the centre, ‘snknxtwiltn,’ can be interpreted as a ‘place where help is provided to one another,’” said Andrea Alexander, WFN councillor. “This word encapsulates the spirit of hope and perseverance that we hope this centre will bring.”
West Kelowna Mayor Gord Milsom thanked WFN for providing space for the centre.
“The 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’s efforts,” he said.
Regional District Central Okanagan Board (RDCO) Chair Loyal Wooldridge added that the centre will streamline access to support and information.
“As 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,” he said.
Services providers include:
- Community caseworkers;
- Insurance Board of Canada;
- Service Canada;
- Service BC;
- Ministry services;
- ICBC;
- Samaritan’s 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 RDCO website.
READ MORE: ‘Nothing left’: West Kelowna resident reveals shocking wildfire damage
READ MORE: West Kelowna wildfire grows despite rainy weather
@GaryBarnes109
gary.barnes@kelownacapnews.com
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