GERALDTON – The weather was well below nippy and the Geraldton PACE centre certainly was busy Monday morning.
“Things have been wild since the weather has been so cold and bitter and brutal here,” PACE Geraldton outreach worker Tanner Erechook said from the non-profit’s office at 301 Main St.
“We've been packed, and then just staying open has been a challenge as well.”
To complicate matters, he noted, the office had a break-in on Saturday “and we've been trying to take care of that.”
The Thunder Bay-based PACE, which stands for People Advocating for Change through Empowerment, has operated community outreach in Geraldton for more than a decade.
The agency hired Erechook for Geraldton outreach work late last year, and he has been operating its local centre since mid-December.
Erechook said 15-20 individuals have come in daily at the outreach centre, which is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
On recent days, however, the daily numbers have elevated to above 20 visitors.
The temperature in Geraldton at 10 a.m. Monday was -20 C, with a wind making it feel considerably colder.
Environment Canada’s forecast for the Municipality of Greenstone hub has similar temps ahead for at least the next couple of days: highs of -19 on Tuesday and -21 on Wednesday.
Erechook and helpers served up a Christmas dinner Dec. 21. He said it was a big success with about 40 people dropping in for turkey, ham and other holiday food fare.