North Bay finds new location for its winter warming centre

The City of North Bay has found a location for its warming centre for the upcoming winter season.

It will be located at 579 Fraser St. downtown beside the LCBO between First Ave. W. and Worthington St. W.

North Bay will operate its warming shelter at 579 Fraser Street this coming winter. An exterior shot of the new site from Oct. 8/23. (File photo/Eric Taschner/CTV News Northern Ontario)

The city and its partners looked extensively for the last three months to find the right spot, District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board (DNSSAB) chairman and city councillor Mark King said.

"I’ll be very honest with you. There were very few locations that would fit and the one that we have now, certainly, I think fits the need," King said.

The shelter will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. from November to March with a possible extension to April if needed and depending on the weather.

The centre will accommodate 49 individuals and it will be staffed by a team from The Gathering Place soup kitchen.

Food will also be provided on-site to those in need.

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DNSSAB is currently in Year 2 of a three-year contract with The Gathering Place to ensure staff will oversee the "inside operation."

"They’re very, very good at that. They’re the right people to operate that," said King.

"I leave it up to them to figure out what kind of staffing they need."

There is some renovation work that is currently underway to create extra washroom facilities.

King said without the addition, the permitted capacity would dip to less than two dozen people.

"I hope that will fit the bill. This is tremendously important. No question," he said.

"There was literally no question that within the last three years that it’s been needed."

Meanwhile, Kind said work continues at the Northern Pines transitional housing facility on Chippewa St. That facility is currently supporting nine people who are moving from transitional housing into non-supportive housing.

In August, the city bought a property on Cassells St., adjacent to The Gathering Place, and plans to work with "various community partners to develop a business case for the effective use of the property."

Few details are known about the purchase, but the city describes it as "a strategic acquisition" and part of its strategy to "address community safety and well-being priorities."