Warming centre finally approved
Homeless will spend cold nights sleeping in county council chamber
Northumberland County Council has finally decided where it will operate a warming centre this winter for the homeless — in its council chambers in Cobourg.
The decision was reached on Tuesday during a special council meeting on the topic. The county hopes to have the centre operating by mid-November, but Councillor Lucas Cleveland, mayor of Cobourg, said there was no real rush since most municipalities he had checked with don’t offer a warming hub until Dec. 1.
The council chambers was one of six options county staff suggested as possibilities are few weeks ago. Last winter it operated a warming hub 24/7 at 310 Division Street in Cobourg, but that part of the centre was closed in July following complaints from neighbouring residents and businesses that the area was overrun by homeless people with drug and mental health issues.
At Cleveland’s instigation, the centre this year will operate from 8 p.m. until 8 a.m. He urged county staff to follow the approach used in Durham Region. He wanted the centre staffed and managed by county employees, but staff said that might not be possible.
Mayor Bob Crate said he would not support any centre that permitted users to bring drugs and have them stored while they were on site, as had been done at 310 Division St.
The plan to use the council chambers as an overnight sleep centre is a stop-gap measure, said Warden Brian Ostrander.
He suggested the county look into the possibility of using Golden Plough Lodge in the future, an idea recommended by Cleveland.
County staff had suggested using mobile trailers or the council chambers at the headquarters site; using trailers at the location of the paramedic centre in Cobourg; using space at the Ontario Agri-Food Venture Centre in Colborne; or Fenella Hall in Roseneath.
Using the chambers is estimated to cost $218,000, one of the lower-priced options.
About 130 residents sent emails or letters to council, most urging them to take action and create a warming centre.
Crate accused Cleveland of trying to shame other municipalities with his frequent comments that somewhere else should step up and offer to provide a warming centre.
Crate said it made no sense to create a “travelling circus” that would bus homeless people to and from Cobourg every day.
One stumbling block that the warming centre must overcome is Cobourg’s emergency care establishment bylaw that was passed in 2024 to regulate activities at 310 Division St. and elsewhere in town. Cleveland suggested that a centre operated by the county at the county headquarters could be granted an exemption from the bylaw.
Ostrander said county and Cobourg staff have been discussing the issue and think a solution can be reached.
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Is this a Beaverton joke? "Homeless will spend cold nights sleeping in county council chamber."
I'm sure they picked the cheapest option. Will they provide cots, blankets? Are there showers? Will decent caloric meals be provided? Where will people go in the daytime? Where will they go mid-day should there be inclimate weather? Where will they go in April? This 'solution' misses the entire point that the region needs a 24/7 year round proper shelter. Cathy Crowe, long-time street nurse.Toronto but Cobourg born.