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
WATCH LIVE Police set to provide update on arrests in Toronto Pearson airport gold heist
More details are expected this morning on arrests that have been made in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport one year ago, Peel Regional Police say.
Some of the winners and losers in the 2024 federal budget
With a variety of fiscal and policy measures announced in the federal budget, winners include small businesses and fintech companies while losers include the tobacco industry and Canadian pension funds.
Gas prices across Ontario expected to climb to levels not seen since 2022, analyst says
Ontario is going to see a big jump at the pumps later this week as gas prices in the province hit levels not seen in nearly two years, according to one industry analyst.
Canada is expected to win 22 medals at the Paris Olympics
Canada is expected to win a total of 22 medals, including six gold, at the Paris Summer Olympics, which open on July 26.
500 Newfoundlanders wound up on the same cruise and it turned into a rocking kitchen party
A Celebrity Apex cruise to the Caribbean this month turned into a rocking Newfoundland kitchen party when hundreds of people from Canada's easternmost province happened to be booked on the same ship.
Liberals must now sell a budget they say will help younger Canadians catch up
It's now up to the federal Liberal government to sell a spending plan it says will help younger Canadians catch up to their elders.
Father of boy accused of stabbing 2 Australian clerics saw no signs of extremism, Muslim leader says
The father of a boy accused of stabbing two Christian clerics in Australia saw no signs of his son’s extremism, a Muslim community leader said on Wednesday as police began arresting suspected rioters who besieged a Sydney church demanding revenge.
Ontario woman out $30K after investing in mortgage company accused of being unlicensed
An Ontario nurse is fighting to recover tens of thousands of dollars in savings she invested in a mortgage company that has since been accused of operating without a licence.
Young New Brunswick songwriter makes appearance on 'The Kelly Clarkson Show'
Eight-year-old songwriter Zuri Hamilton from Miramichi, N.B., got to show off her talent on 'The Kelly Clarkson Show' on Monday.