Brockville – We deeply appreciate the compassion and care shown by community members and those working tirelessly to make a difference for those who are experiencing homelessness. We have heard and acknowledged the community’s concerns with respect to the impacts of the warming centre recently opened at 55 Reynolds Drive in Brockville.
The United Counties of Leeds and Grenville opened the temporary warming centre to ensure no person would be left outside during periods of extreme cold. Protecting life and safety remains our foremost priority.
“Our goal has always been to keep people safe, housed and off the streets during the coldest months. This is why we recognized the urgency of opening a warming centre. We know this decision has raised concerns in the community regarding the location, and we want you to know that we hear you. This is not an ideal situation, and we are working hard to land a better, long-term solution that meets everyone’s needs. We truly appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to secure a more suitable property that serves the community well,” said Counties’ Warden Corinna Smith-Gatcke.
United Counties’ staff are fully engaged in identifying a better, long-term location that meets the needs of everyone. This is a complex issue, as many can appreciate, and we are taking concrete steps to improve the situation and deliver a more suitable space as quickly as possible. As soon as details regarding a new location are confirmed, they will be communicated to the public without delay.
Thank you for your understanding as we continue to work toward a solution that better serves our community.
It is a dollar late and a day short that the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville finally provide a public comment about their failed endeavour to secure an emergency warming centre. Using their low income housing ‘commons’ was truly another demonstration of staff failure to ‘herd the bureaucratic cats’, fight off the ‘power initiatives’ from within its own structure, and consolidate the effort to help the homeless, unhoused, and addicted which have grown in population in our area over the past five years. And it is simple for them to say ‘I hear you’ when they are TOTALLY UNACCOUNTABLE to the ratepayers and residents of the Corporation of the City of Brockville. In fact, I think it is fair to say, that for many things, the Counties get a free ride on the back of the City of Brockville, in terms of location of County-run institutions, by leveraging City Services. It would be a very different story with County Municipal Ratepayers if all these services were placed in the Municipalities of the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville. So, let’s see some greater empathy, understanding, compassion, and moreover, COMMUNICATION AND COOPERATION with the City on these urgent social issues. The Counties’ track record so far (the John Howard Cottages, the CCC, the Hart Hub, and the general Public Health administration) is very, very poor.