By Cecilia Nasmith/Northumberland 89.7 FM/.Today’s Northumberland
Although ejection from the premises of Northumberland County’s shelter at 310 Division St. In Cobourg is typically a given, county council’s Community Health Committee learned at Tuesday’s meeting that it’s not automatic in the case of extreme weather.
The discussion arose after the committee received correspondence from Linda McKenzie-Nicholas on compassionate shelter policies during extreme cold weather.
Homelessness Services Manager Bill Smith explained that no strict guidelines on weather have been formulated during which a service restriction from the shelter might be delayed, but it depends on conditions at the time – for example, they might not eject someone in cases of a snowstorm or torrential rain.
“In general, depending on the reason for the service restriction and what the options are, they would typically reach out to look at other options,” Smith added.
In certain cases, where ejection from the premises might not be an option, “it could be transportation to another community, to family, to a motel potentially, depending on the reason for the service restriction.”
Committee chair John Logel looked at the information before the committee, focusing on a graph depicting service restrictions issued week by week since Nov. 13. Following a peak of 12 the week of Dec. 8-14, he noted, “it’s coming down. You would expect that, as people learn more of the rules and know what’s expected. Good work.”
Immediately, starting with the week of Dec. 15 to 21, the numbers went down to one or two per week, with the exception of six restrictions over two one-week periods in January.
Later in the meeting, when viewing the minutes of the shelter’s Community Liaison Committee, Deputy Mayor Olena Hankivsky made the motion to ask the committee to provide a representative to a committee or council meeting on a quarterly basis to provide an in-person update.
