When temperatures plunge below freezing, Orillia's overnight warming centre becomes a crucial safe haven for people experiencing homelessness.
The centre, located in the Orillia Community Church on Colborne Street, has already opened six times since Dec. 4. In that time, it has served 46 “unique individuals,” officials say.
Tonight will mark the seventh time the centre opens its doors.
“We’ve been open a little bit more than we had expected,” says Rosemary Petersen, the project’s managing director.
The shelter opens any time weather dips to -10 degrees Celsius or below, with or without the windchill. Occasionally, the County of Simcoe engages its alternative spaces strategy, which means the centre opens when temperatures are above -10.
The centre is funded by both the City of Orillia and the County of Simcoe.
“What we’ve received will allow us to be open for up to a total of 60 nights. So, that would be from December until the end of April. If the need becomes greater than that, we would have to work to secure increased funding in order to continue to open,” Petersen says.
It is uncertain at this time whether increased funding will be necessary.
“We are working with the county on that possibility because, of course, we do want to make sure that we can open if we do exceed the number of nights that (are) currently funded,” says Linda Goodall, executive director of The Lighthouse shelter.
“It’s really hard to predict the weather, and that’s what it comes down to,” adds Petersen. “We’ll be monitoring it over the next couple of months, and if we get to the point where we’ve been open for about 45 nights, that would kind of be when those conversations with the county would become a little bit more concrete.”
When the centre does open, it is announced on its website and social media pages. It is also shared with the City of Orillia, emergency services such as Orillia OPP and paramedics, and other organizations servicing people experiencing homelessness.
The centre is open from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. when the weather calls for it, offering more than just warmth.
“If people are interested in getting connected with some other resources, we’re also able to provide that for them during the time that they stay with us,” says Petersen.
“So, that may be things like referrals to shelter; it may be referrals to food resources here in town — really, whatever kinds of things they may be looking for. Sometimes it might be helping people learn about how to get their ID or those kinds of things, as well as our outreach team, because we also offer outreach services here in Orillia through The Lighthouse.”
The centre also provides snacks and a small breakfast for those staying through the night. This food is provided by The Sharing Place Food Centre.
Earlier this year, officials put out a call for qualified staff members for the warming centre.
“We’ve actually seen some great return from that. We have seven staff total, and that includes our warming staff supervisor. So, we operate with three staff on every shift that we’re open,” said Petersen. “That just allows us to ensure the safety of (not only) our team, but also for the participants who are accessing the space.”
The centre houses up to 30 people a night, restricted by the building’s fire code. Anyone experiencing homelessness who is 16 or older can access the space.
Petersen says the centre has averaged about 15 people a night this year. This number jumps to about 25 later in the season when the weather gets colder and more people hear about the centre’s services.
“I think that the main thing that it does, and the reason it is so important to have, is that these are individuals in our community who are vulnerable and who need somewhere safe to stay, and particularly when it’s getting cold overnight through the winter,” she says.
“I want to make sure that they’re safe and well and able to be taken care of through the season.”
Abigail Noble is an intern from Carleton University.
