Orillia's warming centre requests additional support from city
As Ontarians look for ways to stay warm during the grip of winter, for the most vulnerable living on the streets, advocates say it means an added strain on everyday life.
"Harm is just greater in the winter, so we need to do something to reduce the harm," said Trish Holloway, operations manager for The Lighthouse.
Holloway says in Orillia, the city's warming centre has been working to remove an added level of harm within the winter month.
The space recently opened its doors and welcomed those needing a warm space when temperatures dip below -15C or -20C with the wind chill.
"Warming centres in Orillia and warming centres on all of our communities are the difference between someone having life or potentially something tragic," said Holloway.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
However, calls for additional support from the city are ongoing, with the Lighthouse requesting $31,500 in funding for 2023/24, which would go towards keeping the doors of the warming centre open longer and when temperatures fall to -10C.
On Tuesday, city councillors approved the Lighthouse's initial request.
"Homelessness is not a safe existence. We have encampments all over town, so it's not a safe situation, and we need to keep people warm," Tim Lauer Orillia, city councillor in Ward 4.
According to the city, the added funding has yet to be finalized; however, the decision is subject to ratification and is expected to be finalized within the next few weeks.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.