Multiple parents and community members have been writing to me about the potential use by the City to operate an overnight warming shelter at Kitchissippi United. I worked yesterday afternoon and last night to get up to speed. Parents at the Ottawa Children’s Montessori school (a tenant at Kitchissippi United) and some community members have expressed concerns and I can share the following thoughts this morning.
My understanding is that the church has made an offer to make its space available to the City and some of you will have seen a draft of terms on which that might operate. I’ve got an overview of the salient points below. There is currently no agreement between the City and Kitchissippi United and the City is considering whether this is a direction they want to pursue. I understand that the bureaucracy’s preference as it looks for capacity this winter is for sites that can operate 24/7, and that this consideration may or may not preclude City use of this site.
If an agreement is signed even for overnight access only then the City would have the option to rapidly open the warming centre on an as-needed basis. It is uncertain and unpredictable whether it will have need of the space this winter. Based on current trends, it expects to have sufficient capacity without additional supply, but it is making back-up plans. If it is used, it would have a capacity of around 25 people.
The decision or not to sign an agreement with Kitchissippi United is City staff’s to make. I know that some school parents will look to me to oppose that, either formally at the Council table or at least informally through advocacy with our housing staff. I’ll be clear that I will not do either – at least as long as the proposed conditions for security, supervision and clean-up are in place as well as the operation on a pick-up/drop-off basis are in place, as well as a quick-out clause to shut the operation down if safety issues arise.
If City staff choose to pursue an agreement with Kitchissippi United, they will let me know and I will pass that on. If subsequently they choose to use that capacity at any point they will also let me know, and I can pass that on. The City’s housing staff have offered to meet with parents to discuss their concerns.
I will take this opportunity to thank Kitchissippi United for its ministry in action by pursuing this course with the City. It seems very uncertain as to whether the City will be able to use the space, but the offer is heartening.
I would be happy to meet with the Montessori school leadership to discuss this further and consider additional mitigations in the event the City chooses to pursue an agreement, and my suggestion to parents is that they share their concerns with the school’s board. City staff have also suggested they are prepared to meet with parents.
A petition is circulating, a copy of which I’m sharing below to help residents understand better the parents’ concerns. Parents and residents have been posing questions to me in their notes. My staff will be capturing those and send those to the City – likely next week – to be replied to in a consolidated way that I can share. At the same time, I will ensure that the City is aware of all of the concerns being expressed so those can be considered as they make a decision on whether to use this space or not.
Following are the conditions that are being discussed if this agreement moves forward, as described by the Church council:
- January 1 – April 31, 11 pm – 7 am, approved by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
- Pick-up/drop-off by City vans, using Queensway side entrance
- 25 people per night, two City staff plus one security guard
- Access to Montessori school locked and alarmed
- Outside smoking area by Queensway wall – camera enforcement
- Morning pre-school-hours perimeter checks for garbage and litter
- Zero-tolerance drug use
- 24-hour notice of closure if significant safety breaches occur