Sudbury groups step up to provide safe warming centres for the city's vulnerable

A Sudbury city councillor is trying to get trailers set up across from the Elgin Street Mission downtown; a space for people to warm up and eat their meals.

The Elgin Street Mission serves breakfast and dinner to people who need it, but during the pandemic the group has had a hard time switching to a take-out system.

Coun. Bill Leduc says people don't have place to go to eat.

"They're actually sitting either on the sidewalk having their meal, going to Memorial Park sitting down there, but they don't have an actual place to sit down," he said. 

"And we are presently not providing a place for this portion of the population to be able to sit down and have a meal."

That problem will only intensify as winter sets in. It's an almost two-kilometre walk to the closest warming station, Leduc says.

"As the temperatures are dropping and the weather is uncertain, the walk gets more challenging. And this population does have challenges, mobility issues, so it takes them longer to get there. Their meal would be cold. So by setting up these trailers, we're trying to help fill a gap." 

At council Tuesday night, Leduc will ask the city to contribute $175,000, which would pay for two trailers that can accommodate 22 people at a time. 

"These warming stations would be operating from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.," he said. "Right now between the Mission and the Samaritan group and the soup kitchen, we're feeding anywhere between 150 and 200 [people], depending on the time of the month. And these numbers have even gone over the 200 mark." 

If the motion is approved at tonight's council meeting, Leduc says they hope to launch the project by Nov. 23, and keep it running until April 30, 2021.

"If we see the need to expand the service, then we're definitely going to have to rely on individuals donating," he said.

The chaplain and director at the Elgin Street Mission says she's noticed fewer people coming to the mission once the weather turned colder. Amanda Robichaud believes people are opting to skip meals to avoid the walk, and says she's noticed some clients have lost weight.

Robichaud hopes having a warm place to sit and eat will allow more people to get the nourishment they need. 

"Over the summer, of course, it's not that big of an issue. There's beautiful weather," Amanda Robichaud said. "But as that cold weather moves in, we do see that [it] will be a problem, and that people will need somewhere warm to go."

City funds YMCA warming centre

Meanwhile, the YMCA in Sudbury will soon be operating an overnight warming centre.

The centre will not have beds, but will offer a safe place for people to warm up, with access to a washroom and showers, tables and chairs, snacks and beverages, says Kendra MacIsaac, general manager of health, fitness and aquatics at the YMCA of Northeastern Ontario. 

"Being in the heart of downtown, we definitely see that there is a growing need for services, and we do see people coming in, sitting in our Y during the day," she said.

"Being able to provide this service where there definitely is a need is something that the Y is very happy to do."

Funding to operate the warming centre — $200,000 — will come from the city, and will include a security guard.

MacIsaac says she hopes the centre, which will operate between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. each day, will be up and running soon.

MacIsaac said the funding that comes with operating a warming centre will help with the YMCA's occupancy costs, and bring back some staff members who were laid off.

The warming centre will be in yhe Y's multi-purpose room, which has access to a washroom. People using the warming centre would also be able to book shower time.

The cost to run the warming centre is estimated to be between $30,000 and $35,000 per month, and the city expects roughly 20 people will use it.

"It's just going to be a place to sit. We're not able to provide cots or overnight sleeping accommodations," MacIsaac said.

"It's really just a place to come in and get out of the cold, and be somewhere safe." 

There will be four YMCA staff members working in the warming centre each evening — two to clean and sanitize washrooms, tables and chairs after each use, and two staff to help with screening and attendance.

"This is not something that the Y is accustomed to offering, so we'll play it by ear and see how things go."