Recent pedestrians hit prompt Mayor Dean Fortin to find funds for more Our Place hours

The Our Place drop-in centre for street people will soon open two hours earlier each weekday morning, thanks to city funding, Mayor Dean Fortin announced yesterday.

Pending council approval, the Pandora Avenue facility will open at 7 a.m. weekdays rather than 9 a.m. The drop-in closes at 5 p.m.

Opening earlier will cost $120,000 annually, a sum Victoria is prepared to pay immediately, then urge the shelter's other partners to come up with their share, Fortin said.

"The City of Victoria is tired of waiting," he said. "We've been waiting for years to try to get funding to extend the hours of the Open Door."

Fortin said he was motivated to act when he saw the aftermath of a traffic accident in the 900-block of Pandora Friday morning. A 30-year-old man who'd been drinking was trying to cross Pandora Avenue to get to Our Place when he was struck by a car. His injuries are not life-threatening.

It's hoped the extended hours will give people a warm, safe place indoors during the morning rush hour.

"Thank God it wasn't a fatality," said Fortin outside the shelter yesterday.

The province will be invited to help fund the centre, said Fortin, as will other municipalities.

Our Place executive director Rev. Al Tysick said it could take a couple of weeks to prepare for an earlier opening, "but we'll work on that as fast as we can."

The goal is to open the centre 12 hours a day, Tysick said.

"That's a major goal of the board [of directors]."

smcculloch@tc.canwest.com