Montreal soccer stadium becomes homeless shelter for those who are COVID-positive
With COVID-19 spreading quickly in Montreal's homeless community, most do not have access to indoor isolation options. On Thursday, the city announced it would convert an indoor soccer stadium into an emergency shelter.
Mayor Valerie Plante toured the facility Thursday at the Stade de soccer de Montréal ahead of its opening.
“They can isolate themselves, its safe, it’s warm. It’s really well installed,” she said.
The stadium has been stocked with 300 cots, and there’s capacity for more.
James Hughes, CEO of the shelter Old Brewery Mission, says this kind of space is crucial.
“The alternative is that they have to stay in a place like the Old Brewery in a separate wing where they can isolate there. But that is so dangerous for staff, that is so dangerous for the rest of the population," he said.
"In a communal environment such as ours, it will just swing through the whole place.”
The logistics of getting people to the site are still being worked out, but once they arrive, they’ll have a warm place to stay and be provided with food and care.
“We’re part of the food delivery team and also moving things around doing the logistics. Things that Red Cross does when we open a shelter for, let’s say, disaster victims,” explained Pascal Mathieu of the Red Cross, which is helping set up the shelter.
Earlier this week, a 74-year-old homeless man died after spending the night outside.
Advocates like Sam Watts, CEO of shelter Welcome Hall Mission, says the new resource couldn’t come soon enough.
“What has changed is there’s simply more available space for people who are either waiting for a test result, or who have been confirmed as positive. [People] who need to isolate and don’t have a home to go to, and also don’t need to be in hospital,” he said.
There is no closure date set for this shelter, which will remain open for as long as it’s needed.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.
Djokovic needs medical attention after getting knocked on the head by a water bottle at Italian Open
Novak Djokovic needed medical attention after apparently getting knocked on the head by a water bottle after a win at the Italian Open on Friday.