Transit terminal in North Bay being used as warming shelter

Those who need to get warm are heading to the transit terminal in the North Bay's downtown.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, local social service agencies are short-staffed, meaning there's no daytime warming shelter open.

"We just don’t have the staffing to look after the facility,"said Mark King, chair of District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board.

"The liability issues surrounding these warming centres is very, very tricky, and you have to be very careful about who’s actually looking after it and whether or not it’s safe."

Drew Poeta, manager of transit with the City of North Bay, told CTV News people have been warming up in the terminal since November, so more recently security was hired.

"We have security in the week with one at the door as well as our staff, monitoring the door and the people in the lobby,"said Poeta.

Security guards

"On the weekends we have two security guards available, who are able to provide a safe environment making sure people follow COVID protocol and the city’s code of conduct."

The terminal can operate as a warming centre until March, but King and Poeta said it’s just a temporary solution.

"We’re hoping that some of the community groups are able to set something up more appropriate than the transit terminal," said Poeta.

"It’s absolutely not the place for it, without question," said King

"That’s a transit building, designed for people to move in and through the city, it’s not a warming centre."

King said he is in ongoing conversations with local service agencies and said he’s hoping a properly staffed warming centre will open in the next few days, which will be located downtown at the old health unit building.