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
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Centre Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs hasn't been ruled out of tonight's Game 7 against the Boston Bruins.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.