Toronto to open warming centers on Thursday after criticism from advocates and advisers

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Toronto is expected to open three warming centers Friday evening in anticipation of a winter storm expected to hit southwestern Ontario over the upcoming holiday weekend. (City of Toronto/Twitter – image credit)

The City of Toronto is set to open three warming centers Thursday night following widespread criticism of an earlier decision to open them a day later instead.

The city backtracked on its original plan after announcing it on Thursday morning, after councilors and homeless advocates took aim at the decision to open centers Friday on the day Environment Canada predicted heavy snowfall, a deep wind chill and strong winds to hit.

Now, after “watching the forecast”, the city says the centers will open at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. in anticipation of a severe winter storm that is expected to occur tonight and last through at least Saturday.

Temperatures are expected to drop Friday morning, giving way to possible sudden frosts due to rain that is expected to accumulate the night before.

Warming centers are indoor spaces for vulnerable people and homeless people can rest, eat, access toilets and be referred to other emergency services, the city says. The centers will be available without an appointment at:

Scarborough Civic Center at 150 Borough Drive at 7 p.m.

Metro Hall at 55 John Street at 7 p.m.

Mitchell Field Community Center at 89 Church Avenue at 8 p.m.

“Inconvenient for the city”, says the lawyer

While the change in decision was a well-deserved victory, Cathy Crowe, a recently retired veteran street nurse who specializes in homeless advocacy, says she doesn’t believe it would have happened without pressure on the city on all frontlines, including from organizations like Progress Toronto and Shelter Housing Justice Network.

“It’s embarrassing for the city, I think it’s a shame. I think it’s a very dark page for the city that this continues into 2022,” Crowe said.

David Donnelly/CBC

The city’s approach to emergency winter shelters has remained largely inflexible, reactive and inadequate over the past few years, regardless of the mayor responsible, Crowe says, pointing to what she says is a stark contrast. striking between the city’s efforts to prepare snow plows and emergency shelters.

The story continues

She says while the city’s initial decision was not surprising, the stakes were higher than in recent years amid a worsening homelessness crisis, an increase in the number of homeless encampments and recent attacks on vulnerable and homeless people.

“I think it speaks to the need for the city to open warming centers and keep them open for the rest of the winter,” Crowe said.

Councilors call for winter shelter emergency response review

Three councilors who sit on the city’s board of health criticized the city’s approach on Thursday, saying the city’s thresholds for opening warming centers “force people to risk their health and safety on the streets in bad weather. snow, rain and winter”.

City protocol shows warming centers don’t open until 7 p.m. on the day an alert is issued. Temperatures generally need to drop below -15C or approach -20C with the wind chill for them to open. On Friday the wind chill is expected to be -20.

In a statement, councilors Gord Perks, Alejandra Bravo and Ausma Malik say they have asked for “options” to increase the times and locations of warm-up centers and drop-offs starting Thursday evening.

“Every day, more than 100 people are turned away from central admission because there is no space available in our shelters, which are stretched to capacity,” the statement said.

Councilors say they will seek a review of the city’s extreme cold weather alert policy when council meets in January to provide better protection for people experiencing homelessness.

Toronto-St. Paul’s adviser Josh Matlow agrees there is a need to review the “arbitrary” city temperature thresholds.

“The reality is that any temperature below freezing is dangerous for people who sleep outdoors,” he said.

Matlow is also calling for more proactive communication about emergency shelter plans, saying he only learned of the city’s warming center plans on Twitter Thursday morning, like most others.

“It shouldn’t take public calls from people … to get the city to do what I think is intuitive to most reasonable people, which is to have warming centers ready and available before than a major storm strikes, rather than opening them in the middle of one.”

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