The Overnight Warming Centre operated on 40 nights over the past winter, a 166% increase from the year before.
At its meeting on Monday, Belleville City Council will receive a report on the warming centre’s operations for 2020-2021.
The report from Deputy Fire Chief Paul Patry notes that council changed the temperature which activated the warming centre located at the former police station on Dundas Street from -15 to -10 Celsius.
A total of 552 clients visited the Overnight Warming Centre with an average of 13 clients a night.
Approximately 69% of users were male and 31% female.
Deputy Chief Patry’s report indicates while the OWC received guidance from the health unit on how to operate during pandemic restrictions, the centre never had to refuse services and with screening protocols in place, there were no COVID-19 outbreaks directly linked to the operation.
It cost just over $35,000 to operate the warming room with most of the money coming from Hastings County and the rest – just under $4,000 – coming from Belleville’s OLG Reserve Fund.
Hastings County Community and Human Services continues to actively investigate opportunities and potential partnership options with community organizations to create a county-managed Overnight Warming Centre to meet the needs of the community for the 2021-2022 season.
