Lorne Brooker of CJBQ Radio hosts his show live from The Bridge Wednesday. To his right is Bay of Quinte
riding MPP Tyler Allsopp. (Photo: Quinte News)
It will be a day a long time in the making.
The Bridge Integrated Services Hub, otherwise known as a HART Hub (Homelessness, Addiction and
Recovery Treatment), will open Thursday at its permanent location on Alhambra Square in Belleville.
The hub had been operating at a temporary location in an older building on South Church Street, and
previous to that had been run from Bridge Street United Church.
The Hub will offer dining, washrooms, showers, laundry facilities, a resting area, a spiritual/smudging room, and several spaces for various medical and social services staff. It will operate 22 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Lisa Ali of CMHA HPE speaks to media in the laundry room of The Bridge Wednesday. (Photo: Quinte News)
Breakfasts and lunches will be served, with food provided by The Kafana, a downtown Belleville restaurant.
Meals will be designed with a focus on good nutrition.
Dinners will be provided on-site by the Salvation Army.
The renovation of the former Banquet Hall has faced several delays due to unforseen serious issues with the
structure, primarily with the roof trusses and ended up costing well over $7 million to complete.
Washroom/shower area at The Bridge. (Photo: Quinte News)
Four million dollars came from the City of Belleville, Health Canada offered $3.5 million, and there was a
$500 thousand dollar donation from the Jack and Bernice Parrott Foundation.
The provincial government has provided $6.3 million a year for operation costs.
Partners at The Bridge are the Canadian Mental Health Association Association Hastings Prince Edward (lead group),
the Enrichment Centre for Mental health, the United Way HPE, The John Howard Society, Mohawks of the
Bay of Quinte, Hastings-Quinte Paramedic Services, and the Belleville-Quinte West Community Health Centre.
Others involved providing services include Loyalist College, Hastings County (Ontario Works and other programs),
and Next Step Housing.
Space for medical and social services staff off of the drop-in area. (Photo: Quinte News)
At a well-attended Open House Wednesday the Director of Housing and Homelessness Hastings Prince Edward Ashley Vader said she was elated to see the facility up and running.
“We’ve seen each iteration, from the church to the current place the warehouse we’re in right now to this extremely
purpose-built space–joy, overjoyed, excited!”
Vader was asked how the homeless themselves have been reacting to the news of a new facility for them.
“A bit of apprehension. A change is sometimes really hard but telling them about this purpose-built space
they are getting excited. I can’t wait to see their faces when they walk in.”
Vader said The Bridge has been serving about 100 people a day over the winter and the new facility has a capacity of
170 persons.
She says the programs offered to the needy have proved successful to get some people out of their current desperate
circumstances.
“Several people got housed in the last few months and that’s through the work done by staff and all of the community
partners that come to The Bridge. We’ve seen people get into rehabilitation facilities which is very difficult to do.
We’ve seen people detox off of substances and then successfully get themselves off of their substance of choice.”
Renovations continue on the exterior and the second floor of The Bridge but all of the work is expected to be
complete by sometime in June.
(Photo: Quinte News)
Mobile Outreach van providing medical and mental health services as needed throughout the region. (Photo: Quinte News)
