Emergency warming shelter opens in Osborne Village
An emergency warming shelter in Osborne Village opened for the season on Wednesday, providing those experiencing homelessness a safe place to sleep.
The overnight warming shelter, Just a Warm Sleep, provides up to 30 people a bed every night at 109 Pulford Street during the coldest months of the year.
Sarah Chan, manager of Just a Warm Sleep with 1JustCity, said they are in a brand new, renovated space this year.
“So that’s super exciting, but with it, it brings some challenges of understanding how to navigate the space and how things are going to look this year,” she said.
Intake for the warming shelter takes place from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., with the site closing at 8 a.m. every morning. Guests are served dinner and breakfast, and will be able to access showers and laundry.
Chan added that these services give the guests some dignity in being clean and fed.
“It’s also a place where they can build relationships with one another and the staff as well,” she said.
Chan explained it is a low-barrier shelter as pets and shopping carts are allowed inside. The facility does not require the guests to be sober, they just have to be respectful.
She said they will also be providing the guests with some donations.
“We’ll be offering donations of what we have, so those essential items, like toques, mitts, socks, jackets, boots – whatever we have we will offer,” Chan said.
Chan noted it means a lot to their guests to have a consistent place where they feel safe.
“Being able to access a safe space where they can actually feel comfortable and welcomed and fall asleep and get a good night’s rest, it means the next day they can go out and get done the things that they need to get done, and they have the energy for it,” she said.
Just a Warm Sleep is open every night until the end of March, and is looking for donations and volunteers.
“We’re always looking for donations for those basic items, like socks, mitts, scarves, toques, jackets, all of those things, hygiene products as well,” Chan said.
All guests of Just a Warm Sleep will need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. More information on the warming shelter can be found online.
- With files from CTV’s Daniel Halmarson.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A 'tragedy that can't be measured': North Bay's forever chemical problem is also the rest of Canada's
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
For moms-to-be, it's possible to take maternity leave without breaking the bank
Pregnancy is often an exciting and anxious time for parents-to-be. And while painting the nursery and choosing a stroller are typically on the agenda, experts say preparing financially for a maternity leave can help reduce stress later on as well.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Questlove was not happy with Drake and Kendrick Lamar's beef: 'Nobody won the war'
While some may have been excited and/or amused by the diss-track feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, the man many consider to be an elder statesman of hip-hop appears less than enthused about it.
Fine dining, at a new high. A Michelin-starred chef will take his cuisine to our upper atmosphere
Six guests are set to ascend aboard Spaceship Neptune to the stratosphere, where they will enjoy an immersive dining experience served up by Danish Michelin-starred chef Rasmus Munk.
Israel orders new evacuations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah as it prepares to expand operations
Israel ordered new evacuations in Gaza's southern city of Rafah on Saturday, forcing tens of thousands more people to move as it prepares to expand its operation and adding that it is also moving into an area in northern Gaza where Hamas has regrouped.