After six months without a daytime home and centre, has found a permanent home on St. Paul Street in downtown 91大黄鸭.

Metro Community, a church consisting of people from all walks of life, known for its decade-long track record of advocacy and care for the most vulnerable and excluded in the valley, had been based out of a centre on the site of the proposed Westcorp hotel, at the corner of Water Street and Queensway. The previous centre was demolished to make way for the new development that was recently delayed another year.

The church has been operating its week-day outreach and care services as creatively as possible in the meantime.

鈥淚t has been a difficult season for our team and especially for those we care for and serve among the vulnerable and street-connected community鈥� said, Laurence East, lead pastor. 鈥淚ts hard to describe what a critical resource this was for so many, and its loss had a profound impact on our streets.鈥�

After the previous 鈥楳etro Central鈥� centre was demolished, a proliferation of the homeless on the streets downtown during the summer became the subject of media attention. The City of 91大黄鸭 was forced to hire four new bylaw officers, and public speculation followed.

鈥淔or the last six years, we have been a home during the day for many; providing meaningful activity, job opportunities, life skills, community, spiritual care as well as meeting a host of practical needs.鈥� East said. 鈥淲e look forward to building on that experience and being great neighbours, working in innovative ways to enhance and add to the richness our downtown.鈥�

The new daytime centre, located at 1262 St Paul St., is strategically located outside the so-called 'red zone' and the civic district, in a transitional area that includes, commercial, residential and industrial activity.