City to open daytime warming centres at two library branches

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This article was published 12/02/2021 (1853 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Two local libraries will offer unsheltered Winnipeggers a chance to escape the deep freeze, as the city calls for provincial help to open up additional warming spaces.

While overnight shelters still have space available, daytime warming spaces have become an urgent need as recent frigid temperatures continue, said Jason Shaw, Winnipeg assistant chief of emergency management.

“We’re in an extreme weather alert right now. Even when the extreme weather alert ends, we’ll… take a look and see what the needs are.”

As of Thursday evening, the temperature at the Winnipeg airport was logged at -27 C (-35 with the wind chill), by Environment Canada.

Warming spaces will be offered at the Millennium and St. Boniface libraries, beginning Friday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on most days until further notice. St. Boniface won’t be available Feb. 14-15, and will offer slightly shorter regular Sunday hours of 1-5 p.m.

Shaw said it’s not yet clear what it will cost to run the warming spaces, which will be staffed by city library and security employees.

Mayor Brian Bowman said he’s also lobbying the province to provide staff that can help transform additional facilities into warming spaces.

“The province is the level of government that has health-care workers, they have social workers. (They have) the whole gamut of wraparound services that would be needed for something more robust than (what) we’re announcing today,” said Bowman.

The mayor described the library spaces as the municipal government providing a “last line of defence” to meet urgent housing needs — a matter, he stressed, that falls under provincial jurisdiction.

In an emailed statement, Manitoba Families Minister Rochelle Squires said the province is prepared to work on additional supports for unsheltered Winnipeggers.

“We know more needs to be done, and we are certainly willing to work with the City of Winnipeg in a true partnership to reach reasonable solutions together in order to better meet the needs of our homeless population and ensure that no one is left in the cold… We invite the city to partner with us on making public warming spaces available and look at options such as opening community centres and redeploying laid off staff,” said Squires.

The minister noted the province has spent $3.8 million to expand homeless shelter capacity over the past year.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga