Some emergency centres to become 'one-stop shops' for storm info
CBC News | Posted: May 30, 2022 12:22 AM | Last Updated: May 30, 2022
Will run from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m., offer showers and device charging
A handful of emergency centres opened in Ottawa after last Saturday's devastating derecho will convert Monday into "one-stop shops" for information about getting by in the storm's aftermath, the city says.
The four centres, which will be open from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m., are:
- CARDELREC Recreation Complex Goulbourn at 1500 Shea Rd.
- Howard Darwin Centennial Arena at 1765 Merivale Rd.
- Hunt Club-Riverside Park Community Centre at 3320 Paul Anka Dr.
- François Dupuis Recreation Centre at 2263 Portobello Blvd.
All four locations will continue to offer showers, washrooms and charging stations for phones and other electronic devices.
However, they'll also have information about things like insurance, housing and financial services, building and demolition permits, public health, and psychological and social support, the City of Ottawa said in a Sunday press release.
Representatives from several city and partner agencies will be present at the sites, including Ottawa Public Health, the Canadian Red Cross and the city's bylaw department.
Food will be available at the Hunt Club-Riverside Park Community Centre and the François Dupuis Recreation Centre until at least Tuesday evening, the city said.
Change comes as more people get power back
The city had been operating 20 recreational facilities, community centres and other municipal buildings as emergency respite centres in the wake of the fatal May 21 storm.
Even with many of those facilities open Monday for normal programming, the city said residents can still visit them to charge devices and use washrooms and showers.
The change comes as more and more residents are getting reconnected to the city's power grid.
As of Sunday afternoon, Hydro Ottawa was reporting it had brought the number of customers without power to just under 10,000.