The City of Kamloops has activated an Emergency Support Services reception centre at the McArthur Island Sport and Event Centre to support individuals displaced by evacuation orders and alerts affecting the Boston Bar area.

The reception centre is available to assist eligible evacuees with accessing Emergency Support Services and completing applications for available supports.

Evacuees are encouraged to monitor Emergency Info BC at EmergencyInfoBC.gov.bc.ca for the most current information regarding evacuation orders, alerts, and wildfire-related updates affecting their communities.

The City would like to thank residents for their generosity and willingness to support those affected by the wildfire situation. However, the Emergency Support Services reception centre at McArthur Island cannot accept donations of any kind or accommodate walk-in volunteers.

The primary function of the reception centre is to process evacuees’ applications for Emergency Support Services assistance. This provincially mandated process requires specialized training that cannot be provided during an active emergency response. Additionally, the team does not have the capacity to collect, store, or distribute donated goods.

Residents who wish to help are encouraged to connect and donate directly with their preferred local community group, non-profit organization, faith-based organization, and cultural group that may be coordinating support efforts.

Those interested in supporting future emergency responses as trained Emergency Support Services volunteers can learn more and register their interest at Kamloops.ca/ESSVolunteer. As capacity allows following the current event, volunteer coordinators will contact prospective volunteers with information about upcoming training opportunities.

All British Columbia residents are encouraged to prepare for future emergencies by creating a profile at ESS.gov.bc.ca and verifying their identity through the BC Services Card app. Residents can learn more about identity verification by visiting ID.gov.bc.ca. Completing these steps before an emergency can help streamline access to supports when they are needed most.