A state of emergency has been declared in Gjoa Haven, Nunavut, where an ongoing power outage is expected to continue into Friday.
Meantime, a blizzard warning was in effect for the community Thursday night and overnight temperatures were expected to drop below –40 C with wind chill.
A public notice from the hamlet on Thursday afternoon said the local warming centre would close at 9 p.m., and reopen at 9 a.m. The hamlet is offering money to anybody who has heat at home and can host others overnight.
People who host others can receive up to $50 per person, per night, the hamlet says. It’s asking people to use social media to let others know if they have space for guests.
If I remember the good samaritan story correctly, the guy who stopped to help took 50 pieces of silver from the injured guy’s pocket, for his services. /s Is everything based on money and negotiation? Is “the community coming together to help each other” an outdated notion if there is no profit in it? In either case, I hope all is well and some help/aid is being sent to get things up and running again.