As the cold snap hits southern Quebec, Montreal steps up to provide shelter for those in need. The City of Montreal is set to open a temporary emergency shelter at the YMCA Centre-Ville downtown to provide warmth and safety to the homeless community.
With temperatures plummeting, the shelter will offer approximately 100 beds and will be operational from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. to shield individuals from the harsh weather conditions. The wind chill is forecasted to make it feel like minus-21 degrees Celsius on Thursday afternoon, dropping further to minus-23 degrees Celsius overnight.
Heading into Friday, the frigid conditions persist with wind chills hovering around minus-19 degrees Celsius. However, a slight warming trend is anticipated over the weekend. To aid the homeless population, the city has mobilized teams comprising police, healthcare professionals, and community organizations to reach out and provide information on available services.
Looking ahead, the City of Montreal is preparing to open a warming center at Sainte-Bibiane Church in Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie and another at the Sainte-Émélie Convent in Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve for the upcoming weeks. Sainte-Bibiane will offer refuge to 20 vulnerable women each night, offering warmth, rest, and meals from 7 p.m. to 9 a.m. Conversely, Sainte-Émélie will accommodate up to 60 individuals starting December 15 and will operate from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Keyphrase: Montreal emergency shelter
