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Barrie warming centre officially opens Friday

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The City of Barrie's search for a warming centre has finally ended with the official opening on Anne Street South on Friday.

The bitterly cold temperatures have those with no place to call home desperate for somewhere to find warmth.

Recent reports estimate there 65 people sleeping on city streets.

"We're seeing frostbite, we're seeing injuries, and that sort of thing, so we are trying to make sure they get in and get warm. They are just looking for a place to rest," said Sara Peddle, executive director with The Busby Centre.

The city opened the bus terminal as a temporary emergency warming centre, but the homeless community needed more choices with overnight temperatures plummeting to dangerous lows.

"It's critical to have options in the community," said Suzanna McCarthy, Simcoe Muskoka executive director with John Howard Society.

"It's for people who aren't willing or able to access the shelter system for the night," she added.

COVID-19 restrictions have impacted how local shelters operate, allowing fewer individuals to stay overnight compared to pre-pandemic times.

The Anne Street South warming centre will run seven days a week from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m., with a six-person capacity limit.

The Trinity Anglican Church will open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. as another warming centre during the day.

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