It’s opening day at the Ricochet shelter in Pierrefonds-Roxboro on Montreal’s West Island, where community members are getting a closer look at the resources offered to people experiencing homelessness.
One of those members is Cherylanne Ingram, who found support here after losing her job in 2023 and struggling to afford housing.
“I was laid off. And I went on Indeed, Glassdoor. I brought my resume all around town and to Novel. I burned through my savings on my rent. And when I got on welfare finally, they were really giving me about 600. And my rent at the time was 1100 for a four-and-a-half. My daughter was with me at the time,” said Ingram.
“I worked most of my life, and so when I was a teenager. I went through one traumatic experience, and I was 18.”
A story that is increasingly common in the area. Ricochet’s Executive Director, Tania Charron, says the shelter has to turn away up to 200 people each week. Still, since January 2025, the centre—now located in a former Jesuit spirituality centre—has helped 53 people find a home and 83 start a new job.
“We aim at acquiring this building in order to create affordable housing. The idea is to reduce the number of emergency beds from 80 to 48 and create around 60 social housing units. This is the only sustainable solution for the housing crisis that we’re going through,” said Charron.
Today marked the first official opening day at Ricochet’s new location, following its reopening in July 2024. Neighbors, local officials, and community members explored the space through guided tours led by volunteers and had a chance to hear firsthand how Ricochet has helped people rebuild their lives.
“Here at Ricochet, the difference is, they make you feel welcome. They treat you as a person. Like, I wasn’t judged immediately at all when I first got here. They welcomed me, they offered me food right away, gave me a shower, which I’m not used to, because for me, trust with people is like, okay, he wants something in return. Like what is this?” asked Ingram.
Adding, “They gave me a 30-day bed right away. They go, and since then I spoke with him many times. Him, Arturo, Derek, Romero, Hugh them. And there was no judgment. We hung out, we did activities. The first couple nights, they stayed with me in a cafeteria like the whole night. No complaints, no nothing, just chilled. And it was welcoming. It was nice not to be judged.”
Charron adding, “It’s important for us to open our doors and do this event because often shelters and people experiencing homelessness are depicted in a dark way. We want to show that there’s brightness here, there’s magic happening every day, and we want everybody to see that also.”
