A more permanent solution to community warming and cooling centres could be in the works for Belleville, Trenton and Hastings County.
A report to Hastings County Council on Monday indicated the number of days of service required could double.
CAO Jim Pine reported to Hastings County Council that this is dealt with each year on an ad hoc basis and it is time to start planning for a better solution.
Pine said planning is needed for a more focused and permanent approach in shelter management and for warming centres and cooling centres.
He added, “We anticipate at least 105 days versus about 55 days of being open, at the minus 10 temperature. There’s no question that the climate is changing, getting hotter in the summer and colder in the winter. The idea is to be prepared.”
“Start planning for something that will be more permanent in terms of a solution for not only warming and cooling centres but just the whole program around shelter and shelter management.”
“The importance of starting those discussions and reports and reviews through the Human Services Joint Committee. That’s really the right spot for the assessment work to be done. And for recommendations and solutions to be brought forward because it’s an issue obviously for all municipalities across Hastings County, including the cities and local municipalities.”
Pine said it will take some months to get ready but hopes it will be ready by the cold season in 2023.
” … a big change in the way the centre would be run and managed and staffed. So there’s capacity issues we’ve got to deal with, both human resource capacity and financial capacity.”
