As temporary homeless shelter at Place Dupuis closes, two new shelters are on the way
Hotel Dieu and Auberge Versailles will be converted to homeless shelters, it was announced Friday, following the news that Hotel Place Dupuis will no longer serve as a temporary homeless shelter as of June 30.
Hotel Dieu, located near the intersection of St-Urbain St. and Pine Ave., will have 100 beds available as of July 1, with the possibility of offering up to 200 beds in the future.
Auberge Versailles, located near the Radisson metro on Sherbrooke St., is also set to have 100 beds available in the coming months, although the exact date is yet to be specified.
Minister for Health and Social Services Lionel Carmant announced the change in a tweet, in which he highlighted the importance of “safe and suitable” accommodations for Montreal’s unhoused community.
“The needs are glaring,” he wrote.
The transition from Hotel Place Dupuis to Hôtel Dieu will be managed by the Welcome Hall Mission, the organization that runs the shelter at Place Dupuis, which was converted to a homelesss shelter in November 2020.
Sam Watts, CEO of the Welcome Hall Mission, says a lot of work is being done in preparation for the move, including some renovations.
“It’s not a matter of simply turning the key in the lock and saying ‘okay, everybody in,’” he said.
Currently, roughly 180 beds are used per night at the Place Dupuis shelter, but only 100 beds will be available at Hotel Dieu upon its opening. Watts says his team is working to find alternative accommodations for those who won’t be able to obtain a spot at the new site. One option is the Macaulay Emergency Shelter, which is also run by the Welcome Hall Mission.
“It may be that somebody is referred to a different resource,” he said. “There may be a resource that is more appropriate for them than that particular spot, you know, the hospital Hotel Dieu.”
Whether accommodations will be available elsewhere is entirely dependent on health conditions, however. Watts warns that a spike in cases of COVID-19 could limit a shelter’s capacity.
“There are public health guidelines with respect to distancing and with respect to how many people we can have in the building at any one point in time,” he said.
“I’m hoping that we’ll have a place for everybody.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP calls out Conservatives for effort to squash pharmacare legislation
The federal New Democrats are calling out Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his party for trying to block the bill that could pave the way for millions of Canadians to access birth control and diabetes coverage.
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
A subset of Alzheimer's cases may be caused by two copies of a single gene, new research shows
For the first time, researchers have identified a genetic form of late-in-life Alzheimer’s disease — in people who inherit two copies of a worrisome gene.
Ontario MPP asked again to leave Ontario legislature over keffiyeh, Speaker loosens ban
An Ontario MPP was asked again to leave the Ontario legislature on Monday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that was banned by the Speaker last month due to its political symbolism.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreaks spread, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.
Trudeau Liberals to unveil new bill Monday aimed at countering foreign interference
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc will be tabling legislation on Monday aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada. Federal officials have scheduled a technical briefing on the incoming bill for Monday afternoon.