Homeless people in Kenora get temporary shelter

It's a brief reprieve, but homeless people in Kenora, Ont., will have a temporary shelter to stay in.

After city council voted against a new homeless shelter downtown, a group of advocates held a protest Wednesday night on City Hall to demonstrate their displeasure.

The emergency overnight shelter at the Kenora Friendship Centre is scheduled to close July 1, which would have left homeless people in Kenora with nowhere to sleep.  

Marlene Elder spent Wednesday night in a tent outside City Hall and said her goal was to raise awareness of the problem.

"[We protested] to send a message that this is going to be happening once the shelter closes," Elder said, "people will be sleeping wherever."

Her concerns did not go unheard.

In a press release today, the Kenora District Services Board and the Ne-Chee Friendship Centre announced they have entered into a partnership with the Knox United Church.

The Ne-Chee Friendship Centre will staff and operate a temporary emergency shelter in the gymnasium of the church beginning July 1.

Kenora District Services Board Chief Admisitrative Officer Harry Wall said the board is grateful to Knox United for the space.

"We are facing an unprecedented homelessness crisis in the Kenora District," he said. "It is a crisis that cannot be addressed by our communities alone; it is going to require the help of all levels of government."

Patti Fairfield, executive director of the Ne-Chee Friendship Centre, said the goal of her organization is to ensure no one is forced to sleep on the streets.

"Without an emergency shelter, our community's most vulnerable people will be subject to further harm and hardship than they currently face," she said.

The temporary emergency shelter will be located at Knox United Church, 116 Fifth Avenue South, Kenora, and will be open from 8:00 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. starting July 1 to September 30.