Interior Health (IH) is relocating residents and clients from its facilities in Kimberley due to an evacuation alert related to wildfires burning in the region.

This relocation affects residents from Kimberley Special Care Home and assisted living clients from Garden View Village, as well as vulnerable clients in the community. This is a precautionary measure Interior Health takes to ensure the safety of people in our care in response to wildfire risk.

“Our team has a well-planned and thoughtful process that was implemented at 10 a.m. this morning. As of 12 p.m., the majority of residents are with family and those that do not have access to family support have been brought to Joseph Creek Village, in Cranbrook where they have been provided lunch and temporary programming,” Golden Life reported in a media release.

“Assisted living residents will stay at Joseph Creek Village where we can continue to provide their housing, hospitality and personal care needs until the alert is lifted. The remaining residents will be provided accommodation in a local hotel and will have access to our shuttle bus service to attend activities, meals as well as access any other additional supports that they may require during this time.”

Please note, services at the Kimberley Health Centre remain open at this time.

“Our priority is to ensure the smooth transition of care for residents and clients. Health-care staff are assessing each individual and determining the best place to safely relocate them based on their specific care needs,” Interior Health noted in a media release earlier today.

Collaboration is occurring with a number of agencies to ensure the safe relocation of individuals in care. Some residents and clients were able to go to their family members’ homes. Interior Health is also contacting community care clients and their families to ensure their care needs are being looked after during the evacuation alert.

Interior Health is in the process of contacting families whose loved ones are being relocated to provide information on where their family members are being moved.

• Recognizing this will take some time, for family members seeking information about where their loved ones have been relocated, a call line has also been established through the IH Patient Care Quality Office (PCQO). The toll-free number is 1-877-442-2001. PCQO staff will respond to calls as soon as possible. Individuals can also make contact by email, at [email protected].

Patients needing health-care services should take note of the following:

• In an emergency, call 9-1-1
• For non-urgent matters, attend the emergency department at East Kootenay Regional Hospital in Cranbrook
• If you’re unsure of your health care needs, please consider calling HealthLink BC at 8-1-1, to speak to a registered nurse, dietitian or pharmacist

Interior Health is committed to ensuring patient care and safety is maintained as individuals are relocated. Residents will be updated if there are further service changes, and will also be notified when Kimberley Special Care Home and Garden View Village are back to full operations.

Please refer to our Major Events page on the IH website for further information.

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