Barrie warming centre officially opens Friday
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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.