County opens two warming centres
Administrator | Jan 06, 2018 | Comments 12
UPDATE: Mayor Robert Quaiff said arrangements were made through social services and the Salvation Army to provide overnight accommodations to anyone in need.
“No one will be put out into the cold,” he said.
The County of Prince Edward will operate two warming centres – today until 11 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 7.
Centres are at the Rotary Club of Picton Hall, inside the Prince Edward Community Centre (375 Picton Main Street) and the Rotary Hall inside the Wellington and District Community Centre (111 Belleville Street) will be open until 11 pm on Saturday, Jan. 6 and from 7 am – 11 pm on Sunday, Jan. 7.
Coffee and hot chocolate will be available at both locations.
Environment Canada continues its extreme cold warning for the area with cold and brisk windchill values of -30 to -35 C. Sunday is expected to be the last day of the cold snap as temperatures are expected to moderate throughout the day, followed by a much milder week ahead.
Extreme cold warnings are issued when very cold temperatures or wind chill creates an elevated risk to health such as frost bite and hypothermia.
Filed Under: Local News
Although I don’t live in Picton, news travels. It is shocking that there are no overnight facilities for taking care of the homeless in Picton and other towns. I have heard that there are homeless people camping in the woods on the Heights–and that when a Good Samaritan transported them to one of the “warming centres” (closed at 11 pm because the nights are so balmy) the centre turned them away because there was only a cleaning crew present. If this is accurate, then shame on the town council. Do they themselves have warm clothes, good food and a safe and warm place to sleep at night? Bet they do. Do they believe that those who have no homes deserve the same? Apparently not.
I hope that the town council redeems themselves by immediately opening an accessible and safe overnight space for those who have nowhere but the streets and woods of Picton. Add soup and sandwiches, dry socks, hats and mitts and do the job well.
Thank you in advance.
Where was everyone’s opinion on this matter during the Christmas and New Years weekends. How about the days and nights leading up to the warming centres opening? If memory serves me correctly, they were just as cold, if not colder. We had several extreme cold weather alerts prior to this out-cry, yet no one seemed to be bothered. Policies and procedures need to be in place for such events. Social media is only reactive never proactive.
It is certainly good news that those in need had a place to go, but why wasn’t this information included in the article? It would have made for a much more positive story.
why did it take so long to open warming centres
UPDATE: Mayor Robert Quaiff said arrangements were made through social services and the Salvation Army to provide overnight accommodations to anyone in need.
“No one will be put out into the cold,” he said.
Talk about token gestures of kindness – this takes the cake! Whoever came up with the idea of throwing the homeless out at 11pm , has no idea of what poverty nor homelessness is, during sub zero temperatures. Which opens up the discussion on the latest token gestures made towards “affordable housing” – it is all optics with little substance coming form our politicians. But that too is another discussion for another time – right now getting people out of the cold with a decent meal and warmth should be the focus. Does anyone know where people can go here in PEC and how to get this information into the hands of those who need it?
I would think that the Picton Town Hall would be a great location for a 24 hour warming center, it is central and equipped for this type of use…….but remember, council wants to sell it. Go figure !
Thanks for the hot chocolate. Why do I have to leave when it is the coldest overnight?
Definitely Agreek with previous comments !! Why close the doors at 11:00 PM when it’s the coldest
outside!!? Come on folks /co ordinators a little thought required here.
Thank you in advance for changing the protection hours to high temp danger time frames.
You can’t throw homeless people out at 11:0pm into -28 .I thought we were better prepared.
At 11:00 pm go sleep on the street!
Until 11:00pm? And then what? If hours of operation are limited it would make more sense to give them shelter at night time when it is the coldest. This is not helping them survive the cold night whatsoever!! 11:00pm until 11:00am is what is needed. This extreme cold weather warning wasn’t a surprise so why weren’t accommodations for people in need already set in place?