Helping fund an indoor warming centre in downtown Barrie for the homeless received the support of city council Monday night, as they approved a motion to split the $40,000 cost for the next three months with the County of Simcoe.
“Our unhoused are looking for a warm place to go,” said Coun. Natalie Harris, who has pushed for a warming centre for weeks. “When we have identified gaps in our services… we need to change the way we provide shelter, housing and warmth.”
Some councillors wondered aloud why this need exists, given the shelter system funded by the county, which receives social housing money from the city.
“With the amount of money spent on these services…” said Coun. Robert Thomson. “Winter was coming this year 100 per cent. This isn’t a new season.”
“Now we’re almost the middle of January and it’s like minus-10 outside,” said Coun. Gary Harvey. “So it’s ridiculous too that we’re where we are today. I would hope the county’s watching this and they act fast, because this is kind of a ridiculous situation that we find ourselves in.”
The motion, which was approved unanimously, is that a one-time grant of $20,000 funded from the reinvestment reserve be provided to the John Howard Society of Simcoe Muskoka, through the County of Simcoe, to fund additional overnight warming capacity in the city of Barrie and that the county be requested to match the funding.
Homelessness services and prevention is the county’s responsibility in Barrie. The county is responsible for social housing-related services within Barrie, including funding. The city does not directly fund the Busby Centre, Salvation Army, Elizabeth Fry Society, or Youth Haven.
Simcoe County council has yet to consider the funding request, but Barrie’s $20,000 would be used for a warming centre regardless of the county’s decision.
City council will consider final approval of the motion at its Jan. 17 meeting.
“It’s a modest amount of money in an extreme circumstance,” said Mayor Jeff Lehman. “The demand is now and to me fairly obvious.”
No specific site has been identified for the downtown warming centre, although Harris mentioned potential choices on Dunlop Street West and at a confidential location.
Earlier Monday evening, the city announced that Barrie Transit Terminal, at 24 Maple Ave., will be available as a warming centre for the duration of the extreme cold warning (minus-30 degrees Celsius) announced by Environment Canada, subject to capacity restrictions. Safety protocols will be followed to ensure physical distancing, screening will take place and face coverings must be worn.
Coun. Keenan Aylwin said the city followed Environment Canada’s minus-30 C cold threshold, but it should be higher.
Councillors approved his motion that the city open a warming only facility when an extreme cold weather alert is issued by Environment Canada or the temperature or wind chill is expected to reach minus-20 C for at least two hours.
“Minus-30 is really, really cold and there’s a need when it’s a bit warmer than that, at negative 20 degrees,” Aylwin said. “Health Canada says that minus-27 degrees Celsius is the temperature where you really start to worry about wind burn and frostbite. So I think if we’re going to follow the science on that then negative 20 makes sense.”
There had been a makeshift warming centre erected at Barrie’s Sam Cancilla Park gazebo for 10 days, but it was dismantled by organizers Sunday after Barrie police received a complaint.
Orillia has a warming centre which operates out of Orillia Community Church on Colborne Street East on nights when the temperature is minus-15 C or colder.
The Simcoe County Alliance to End Homelessness enumeration of November 2020 showed 563 people, 82 per cent of them single, were experiencing homelessness — and that 49 per cent, or 276 people, were in Barrie.
