Leiper Backs Church Warming Centre
This is an except from the newsletter of Kitchissippi Councillor Jeff Leiper:
On Wednesday I became aware that the City is considering an offer by Kitchissippi United to serve as an overnight warming centre. I’ve been asked to oppose that and I won’t. Read my post on the issue here.
Conditions being discussed if this agreement moves forward, as described by the Church council:
- January 1 – April 31, 11 pm – 7 am, approved by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
- Pick-up/drop-off by City vans, using Queensway side entrance
- 25 people per night, two City staff plus one security guard
- Access to Montessori school locked and alarmed
- Outside smoking area by Queensway wall – camera enforcement
- Morning pre-school-hours perimeter checks for garbage and litter
- Zero-tolerance drug use
- 24-hour notice of closure if significant safety breaches occur
This newsletter excerpt is courtesy of the city-wide community group Your Applewood Acres (And Beyond) Neighbours
For You:
For The Love Of God, Not Watson: THE VOTER
Watson Ponders More Politics: THE VOTER
Stop Transpo Reliability ‘Crap-Shoot’: THE VOTER
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What day of the week is April 31st this year? Asking for a friend …
I read this in Jeff’s newsletter yesterday and, having seen the objections of the parents from the daycare that’s located in the church, I think that there must be other locales that wouldn’t carry the potential problems that this one will.
It’s important to note that the people who’ll be there through the night are being transported there by City which suggests to me that the vans could just as easily take them to another location. These are not people from the immediate community who are getting there under their own steam.
Also the use of the term “warming centre” is a bit ingenuous. When I see that, I assume it’s a place with chairs, a cup of coffee, some snacks and other comfort items that one would go to for a period of time on a cold day. They might distribute warm socks, hats and gloves to the clientele as well.
Au contraire! This place will have beds and operate overnight through the winter and early spring. That sounds very much like a shelter to me, however temporary.
Although it is not stated in Jeff Leiper’s memo what exactly a warming centre is, and since I can’t keep up with all the catchphrases we have adopted in our day-to-day lives, I assume it is a place where homeless people can go to seek shelter on cold winter nights. If this is correct it’s nice that the church has made this offer of refuge and that Mr Leiper has shown his support. As for the young students who will no doubt ask questions about the overnight guests, this is a perfect opportunity to explain the issues some people in our society face when it comes to basic survival and to get the students thinking, either individually or as a group, about what other actions can be taken to assist the homeless in our society since ignoring those in need is a poor solution to this problem. Again, hats off to the church and to Jeff Leiper.
Sisco,
Some of those students are four-month-old infants so it won’t really be a teachable moment. The ‘warming centre’ is equipped with beds and the occupants will be brought there by City vans and returned in the morning. It is, in all but name, a temporary shelter but without showers or laundry facilities. I don’t know if it even has the capacity to serve the visitors breakfast before they are sent on their way at 7 am.