Toronto opens two new warming centres for homeless as talks on opening Moss Park Armoury continue
With temperatures plunging, a deal to open the armoury is expected but just when the space will be available is still being sorted out, MP says.

TheStar.com
Jan. 4, 2018
David Rider

After a barrage of criticism, and with temperatures taking a dangerous plunge, the City of Toronto opened two new warming centres for homeless people and deployed outreach workers and ambulances to check on those who refuse to move indoors.

City and federal officials said Thursday discussions to open the Moss Park Armoury as a temporary respite centre were going well, and they had expected to make an announcement later in the day.

But the officials were still talking late Thursday, and, as terms had not been hammered out, the discussions were expected to resume Friday.

Mayor John Tory said the new round-the-clock warming centres were to open at Metro Hall and Regent Park Community Centre at 7 p.m. and remain open until the extreme cold weather ends.

“People will find a warm welcoming place to come in and get out of the cold to get a hot breakfast, and we will have shelter staff and paramedics located at both of these additional sites,” he told reporters at city hall.

The extra outreach workers will try to convince people staying outside to move indoors, and keep checking on them if they refuse. Paul Raftis, head of the city’s shelter support division, said “a couple of ambulances” will also patrol the downtown core looking for anyone in danger.

Tory also urged citizens who need to find shelter for themselves or for somebody else to call 311 or go in person to the Peter St. referral centre. If anyone sees a homeless person in obvious danger, they should dial emergency services at 911, Tory said.

The extra steps follow days of criticism aimed at Tory and city staff over the response to a prolonged cold snap and packed shelter system.

In dangerous cold, some city staff had told people who called a shelter support number there was no more space for homeless Torontonians, even as cots sat empty at a temporary respite centre at the Better Living Centre at Exhibition Place and other city sites.

Tory has called that mistake “indefensible.”

Amid probes by senior city staff and Toronto’s ombudsman, he vowed Thursday that will not happen again.

“If people follow the procedure in terms of making an inquiry of us through direct visitation to the 129 Peter St. referral centre, or by calling 311, we can say that anyone who needs shelter in the city of Toronto will find that shelter, or we will find it for them,” the mayor said.

Environment Canada warned Thursday afternoon that overnight temperatures could plunge to -23C, with windchill making it feel like -36C.

The overnight low Friday is expected to be even colder.

The GTA is forecast to get some relief Sunday when the high is predicted to be -7C.

Efforts to open the armoury in east downtown continued Thursday afternoon as talks were held between city, provincial and federal officials.

Toronto’s Office of Emergency Management submitted a request to use the armoury, via the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre, to the federal government.

Liberal MP Adam Vaughan said he expected a timely federal response to the city, which wants 24-7 access to the armoury for up to 100 cots until April 15.

“The city wanted an answer by 6 p.m. (Thursday) and there should be answer,” said the Spadina-Fort York MP, appointed last February to head an advisory committee on homeless issues. “The city has asked for 24-hour access and we’re trying to see how that might work. It may not be possible in the short term, say the next month, because of trying to move military personnel into different spots.

“Overnight is definitely workable in the short term and we’ll see where we go from there.”

Provincial officials are also looking at buildings that could temporarily be used as shelter, Vaughan said.

Scott Bardsley, press secretary to federal Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, struck an optimistic tone.

“The City of Toronto, Province of Ontario, and Government of Canada are working closely to identify and evaluate options,” he wrote in an email. “All three levels of government are focused on finding the most effective solution in the shortest possible timeframe.‎ ‎”

Officials say it could take a few days from the time agreement is reached before homeless Torontonians could actually be sleeping in the armoury or other sites identified.

Tory had earlier opposed activists’ calls to open Moss Park and an armoury at Fort York as a release valve for Toronto’s packed shelter system. He said he changed his mind when city staff said they expect demand to outstrip capacity at the Better Living Centre, which was raised to 140 cots.