Toronto braces for bitter cold as advocates warn shelters, warming centres may not meet demand
Arctic air coming in from a polar vortex to blame for extreme cold: weather agency
Bitter temperatures are expected across the Greater Toronto Area this weekend, leading advocates for homeless to worry that not everyone will be able to access warmth and shelter.
There is “an insurmountable” homelessness problem in Toronto and across the province, meaning there may not be enough space for everyone needing help during the cold snap, community worker Diana Chan McNally said on CBC Radio’s Metro Morning Friday.
While the city works to scale up services, such as warming centres and shelter spaces, McNally said it’s nowhere near enough to meet the growing demand of people experiencing homelessness.
She’s calling on the province to address the affordability crisis in the province, which she says is forcing more people into homelessness.
“Affordability is the number one reason why people become homeless. It’s not mental health. It’s not addiction,” she said.
Focusing on preventative, not reactive, measures will also save costs for the city, Gord Tanner, general manager for the City of Toronto's shelter and support services, said on Metro Morning.
“The money we spend on these emergency services is in the hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars in the city of Toronto. That money could be better spent on long-term social housing, prevention programs,” he said.
Tanner said the city is stretching resources this week to get as many people inside as possible.
Toronto’s five warming centres have been open since Jan. 11, two surge sites opened last week and the city is looking to add 120 additional beds across shelters this weekend, he said.
“The goal is to really bring people out of those warming shelters and into those spaces at our larger shelters to create some flow, because we know more people will be showing up,” he said.
Tanner said he sent out an extreme weather bulletin to hundreds of shelters Friday morning, urging them to not turn anyone away during the cold snap.
In a statement Sunday, a city spokesperson said approximately 540 additional temporary spaces were opened to help bring people in from the cold.
"Capacity continues to be actively monitored," Imane Boussaid said. "At this time, there is still space available within the system."
Staff have been instructed not to turn anyone away and to help arrange transportation to other available spaces if needed, the spokesperson added.
Environment Canada, meanwhile, has issued an orange weather warning for "bitterly cold conditions" in Toronto to continue into Saturday morning. Wind chill values could near -30 to -33.
The federal weather agency has also issued a yellow winter storm watch for Toronto, saying a storm could bring 20 to 40 centimetres of snow, with higher amounts in some areas.
Advocates are concerned people experiencing homelessness will be at risk for frostbite, hypothermia or even death, if exposed to the extreme cold this weekend.
For its part, the province is working to give municipalities the tools they need to help people experiencing homelessness access accommodations and wraparound supports, said Michael Minzak, spokesperson for Ontario's Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
He said the province has invested $75.5 million to create 1,239 additional housing units, 815 supportive housing units and 971 more shelter spaces for people living in encampments across Ontario.
The City of Toronto received $217 million through the Homelessness Prevention Program, which allows municipalities to deliver services based on local needs, said Minzak.
Look out for one another out in the cold: doctor
This weekend, everyone needs to be “on guard” and looking out for each other amid the frigid temperatures, said Dr. Stephen Hwang, director of the MAP centre for urban health solutions at St. Michael's Hospital.
Hwang and Environment Canada said it’s key to watch for the following symptoms in people exposed to the cold:
- Any feelings of numbness or tingling.
- Anyone acting irrational or confused, which is a sign of hypothermia.
- Wet or damp clothes that can lead to frostbite.
- Chest pain or muscle pain and weakness.
- Shortness of breath.
- Colour change in fingers and toes.
People should cover up as frostbite can develop within minutes on exposed skin, said the national weather agency's warning on Friday.
“It's just important that we … help people that appear to be in need and keep any exposed skin properly covered by layering up," Hwang said on CBC Radio’s Metro Morning.
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With files from Metro Morning.
