Kitchissippi Shelter Not A Done Deal: LEIPER
This is an excerpt from Kitchissippi Councillor Jeff Leiper’s blog:
Multiple parents and community members have been writing to me about the potential use by the City to operate an overnight warming shelter at Kitchissippi United. I worked yesterday afternoon and last night to get up to speed. Parents at the Ottawa Children’s Montessori school (a tenant at Kitchissippi United) and some community members have expressed concerns and I can share the following thoughts this morning.
My understanding is that the church has made an offer to make its space available to the City and some of you will have seen a draft of terms on which that might operate. … There is currently no agreement between the City and Kitchissippi United and the City is considering whether this is a direction they want to pursue. I understand that the bureaucracy’s preference as it looks for capacity this winter is for sites that can operate 24/7, and that this consideration may or may not preclude City use of this site.
To read the full post, click here.
For You:
Daycare, Warming Centre Don’t Mix: Residents
Leiper Backs Church Warming Centre
Charm. Watson Has Oodles Of Charm
Bookmark The Bulldog, click here
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– The Bulldog – News Feed Enter 
How much is it going to cost to ferry people back and forth by city vans to this location on a daily basis? It doesn’t say where they’re coming from – are these the overflow from existing downtown shelters who would otherwise be turned away from the shelters or sleeping on their floor or in a chair?
I do wonder how much sleep these visitors are going to get since the place only opens at 11 pm and they have to be completely cleared out of there eight hours later at 7 am. That would presumably include the time to set up and remove beds for sleeping. It’s better that sleeping outside on a grate or a park bench but certainly not a proper night’s sleep. And that’s on nights that there are no disturbances during the night.
Will they even get a cup of coffee let alone breakfast before they’re pushed out the door? Are there showers or laundry facilities there? Why wouldn’t they open at 8 or 9 pm so people have a bit of time to settle in before bed? Or even 7? It’s very generous of the church to consider helping out but it doesn’t seem to have been very well thought through.