The Nelson SPCA Adoption Centre will close on Nov. 10.
The Kootenay Christian Fellowship, the SPCA's landlord at its Fell Street location, has given notice that it intends to expand its soup kitchen and food bank services into the premises currently rented to the centre.
Rather than opening at a new Nelson location, the SPCA has decided that its animal shelters in Castlegar and Cranbrook are sufficient to serve the West Kootenay, according to Jamey Blair, senior manager for the SPCA's interior/north region.
“The organization is not in a financial position to source a new location when we already have two shelters there and are able to continue supporting the region,” she said.
Even though there will be no office in Nelson, the current facility manager will remain in Nelson in a community services co-ordinator role to ensure the continuation of other SPCA services such as animal protection investigations, foster care, education programs, and food banks, as well as partnership with local veterinarians for the spay and neuter program.
“We are committed to maintaining a presence in Nelson,” Blair said.
Pastor Jim Reimer of the Kootenay Christian Fellowship, which runs the combined soup kitchen and food bank known as Our Daily Bread, told the Nelson Star the service needs more space to expand its food bank choices and hours.
Reimer said they plan to expand into frozen foods, hygiene products and baby products, as well as to enlarge its children's area and enhance its after-school program.
The need for the expansion of services and hours, he said, results from the increased number of Our Daily Bread clients who have jobs but are still unable to pay for rent and groceries.
