Operators of emergency shelters in Thunder Bay are anticipating a busy winter due to an increase in individuals residing in tent encampments and ongoing delays with the city’s proposed temporary shelter village. Collaboration among Thunder Bay emergency shelter providers like Grace Place, Urban Abbey, and Shelter House ensures that no one seeking shelter is turned away during cold winter nights, according to Scotland Morrison, head of staff at Urban Abbey.
Urban Abbey manages a 25-bed women’s shelter at its downtown Port Arthur location and an additional 25-bed shelter on the south side that is open to all in need during the winter months. Morrison highlighted the close coordination between Shelter House, Grace Place, and Urban Abbey, with individuals being redirected to different shelters when one reaches full capacity.
Grace Place’s Out of the Cold program offers 25 beds from October to the end of April, while Shelter House provides 62 beds with 10 overflow spaces. Melody Macsemchuk, operations manager at Grace Place, expressed expectations of reaching full capacity this winter based on previous seasons’ high demand.
Morrison also foresees Urban Abbey operating at full capacity, attributing the increase in numbers in local tent cities as a contributing factor. Meanwhile, the city’s 80-unit temporary shelter village project faces another setback, with Coun. Rajni Agarwal proposing its removal from the city’s plans due to construction delays.
Agarwal mentioned that the village would not be ready for this winter, citing ongoing delays in site selection. Morrison emphasized that the shelter village, if realized, could alleviate pressure on existing shelters, offering more space for clients and potentially providing a more permanent housing solution for those in need.
Moreover, Morrison pointed out that while emergency shelters require individuals to leave in the morning, the shelter village would offer a different approach, allowing occupants to stay longer.