Location of North Bay Warming Centre named

The location of the North Bay Warming Centre has been determined.

Executive Director of The Gathering Place Dennis Chippa says it will be at The Gathering Place.

He says it’s not the ideal situation but it will work.

He says the plan is to move the tables that are used the day and replace them with cots for the Warming Centre clients.

But he says it’s not as simple as that and they’ve been told by the city they’ll have to make some changes.

“We have to go to an architect, they suggested we hire an engineer and they suggested we do an application for a potential build but we don’t have the money for that,” he says.

He says all they want to do is move four tables into the kitchen and provide cots to replace them.

Chippa says people will freeze to death if they’re not open.

“Is this the best solution? I don’t think it is. I don’t think it would be comfortable to sleep at a table but it’s better than freezing to death in the snow,” Chippa says.

He was asked about other locations downtown.

“I had suggestions around city hall and some city buildings. We were denied but it never got off the ground. It was made very clear at the Mayor’s Roundtable that was not an option,” he says.

(photo by station staff)