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
B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.