Hybrid shelter opening date pushed back
The opening date for the Region of Waterloo’s hybrid shelter has been pushed back, with design delays being blamed.
At Wednesday night’s council meeting, the region’s commissioner of community services Peter Sweeney told councillors staff are now targeting mid to late March for opening.
Sweeney admitted the original target date of early February was “a bit too ambitious.”
“Although this is intended to be an interim and temporary solution, it is not a solution without its complexities,” Sweeney said.
The hybrid shelter will be set up on regionally-owned land at 1001 Erbs Road on the border of the City of Waterloo and the Township of Wilmot.
The property is home to the region’s Emergency Services Training and Research Centre campus, which includes paramedic services, the landfill, and a training facility for multiple emergency services.
The region has said the hybrid shelter will be home to up to 50 people, each with their own small cabin, equipped with electricity, heating and air conditioning.
A main cabin complex will provide running water, washrooms, laundry services, space for meals and access to support services like addiction and mental health counselling and help finding permanent housing.
Sweeney said it’s the design of that space, and ensuring it will adequately serve the people who live there, that’s holding things up.
“Ensuring we have places to have private and dignified conversations, whether that’s related to housing, social work, or mental health and addictions, has required a bit of a rethink in terms of what that community space needs to look like,” Sweeney said.
The Region of Waterloo and The Working Centre, who has been contracted to operate the hybrid shelter, will host a public information meeting for neighboring homes and business Thursday night at 7 p.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'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.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Man convicted of involuntary manslaughter in father's drowning, told police he was baptizing him
A Massachusetts man who told police he was exorcising a demon and performing a baptism when he shoved his father's head under water multiple times has been convicted of involuntary manslaughter in his death.
New Norad commander calls Canada's defence policy update 'very encouraging'
American troops will be spending more time training in the Far North, the new commander of Norad says, a strategy that fits 'hand-in-glove' with Canada's renewed focus on Arctic defence.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.