Rose Street overnight shelter in Barrie officially opens
Barrie's temporary emergency overnight shelter on Rose Street is officially open for the season.
"Everyone's ready. It's just a matter of when the need is, and obviously, the weather will dictate some of that need. We do check our overnight shelter capacity and needs on our dashboards," said Simcoe County Social and Community Services general manager Mina Fayez-Bahgat.
- Download the CTV News app free to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
The overflow shelter is an additional option on top of the shelters already available, including the alternative space program launching for the first time this year.
"For people that are coming to the locations around the city, they can let us know if they need a space, and then we'll send people up to Rose Street or one of the other shelters," said Busby Centre executive director Sara Peddle.
Up to 40 spaces will be available at this location, running from 6 p.m. to 10 a.m. seven days a week until April 30, 2024.
Peddle said some members will move in Wednesday night.
"The housing crisis is still very much upon us, and so our shelter has been turning away anywhere from 10 to 15 people a night. Seeing this type of space open up is really a breath of fresh air because we don't wanna keep turning people away as the nights get colder," said Peddle.
Fayez-Bahgat believes this year's homeless winter response plan will be more effective than last year's.
"Since the strategy was launched in May and we began implementing in July, we have a lot more things at our disposal, including things like deeper rent subsidies, intensified outreach, more shelter spaces," said Fayez-Bahgat.
With more tents popping up around the city, the County is partnering with outreach teams to offer services to those living outside.
"To see what they wanna do, do they want to come in, where they want to head to, so that we can get them those resources, or do they wanna stay put and we can help them with some survival gear as well," said Peddle.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6972904.1721665816!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
BREAKING U.S. Secret Service director resigns after Trump assassination attempt
U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has resigned following an assassination attempt against former U.S. president Donald Trump at a rally earlier this month.
What Canadians should know about a possible Kamala Harris U.S. presidency
Observers expect Kamala Harris to follow U.S. President Joe Biden’s roadmap for America’s relationship with Canada as she moves to secure the Democratic party's presidential nomination.
DEVELOPING Wildfire near Jasper National Park prompts evacuation order and highway closures
Multiple wildfires in Jasper National Park flared up with a vengeance late Monday night, forcing all park visitors along with the 4,700 residents of the Jasper townsite to flee west with little notice over mountain roads through darkness, soot, and ash.
Do you need a lawyer when making a will in Canada?
Many people believe that creating a will requires the services of a lawyer, but this isn't always the case. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew explains a lawyer's role when crafting your last will and testament.
Quebec mom devastated after man who killed her daughter in hit-and-run gets out after 5 months
A Montreal-area mother is furious with Quebec's justice system because the man who killed her 25-year-old daughter in a 2022 hit-and-run was released from jail after only serving one-sixth of his sentence behind bars.
'They are not taking this decision lightly': Wildfire forces Williams Lake, B.C., seniors homes to move residents
Firefighters continue to battle raging wildfires in B.C.’s Cariboo Region, and concern is growing that recent weather could worsen the situation.
5 of Harris’ more progressive proposals from her 2020 White House bid
As Kamala Harris prepares to run for president against Donald Trump, she will have to lay out for voters her own ideas on how to steer the economy.
NEW 'The Simpsons' are once again getting credit for predicting American politics
In an episode of 'The Simpsons' from 2000, Lisa Simpson becomes U.S. president and wears an outfit strikingly similar to the one America’s first female Vice-President Kamala Harris wore to the 2021 inauguration
China's leaders have floated the idea of raising the retirement age. It hasn't gone down well
China has announced plans to raise some of the world’s lowest statutory retirement ages as it tries to cope with the consequences of a rapidly aging population and a pensions funding crisis.