Guelph’s city hall no longer an overnight warming and cooling centre

People looking to beat the heat or escape the cold will no longer be able to take refuge in Guelph City Hall. CTV’s Karis Mapp explains why.

Guelph says city hall will no longer operate as an overnight heating and cooling centre for those experiencing homelessness.

The official end date is Monday, June 1.

An report from the city listed several factors for the decision.

“City hall is not designed for this usage, especially during overnight hours, as it is not regularly staffed, nor is it equipped or properly staffed to safely provide the necessary amenities and supports that one would expect in an emergency shelter setting,” it said.

They also cited ongoing damage to the building and a lack of funds.

“There was a lot of drug use. There was a lot of violence, sexual and intimacy issues, which I will not get into. And our staffing was not prepared for those things,” Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie told CTV News.

“City staff have now made the right call, in my opinion, that we are not going to offer this space because there is already the proper space for those people to go to with the proper supports.”

The building was designated an overnight warming and cooling centre during the pandemic and in response to capacity limits at other housing facilities in the city. At that time, when Environment Canada issued an extreme heat or cold weather alert, those living rough had limited options available. City hall helped bridge that gap.

Only a few people stopped by at the beginning. The city said they would stay for a few hours, then leave during the night.

Within the last year, however, there has been a significant increase in visitors. The city said many are now staying through the night and treating the building as an emergency shelter.

“Anecdotal reports indicated increased use of city hall was driven by an opportunity to take shelter at a location operating without the same rules as the emergency overnight shelter,” the report noted.

On a busy night, Guthrie estimates roughly 25-30 people were sheltering in the lobby.

“Frankly to be blunt, I think there were a lot of people coming here because they don’t like rules,” Guthrie said.

The building was used as a warming centre 14 times in the first three months of 2026.

During that period, they had to bring in two bylaw officers, a paramedic and additional cleaning staff.

“Guelph Police Service were also required to attend city hall’s overnight warming centre on a number of occasions due to behavioural issues with those using the space,” the report said.

The washrooms were often damaged, forcing staff to lock up facilities.

Drug use and paraphernalia were also an issue, as well as inappropriate sexual behaviour in the lobby.

The report said it cost $2,750 a night, on average, to run city hall as an overnight heating and cooling centre. That, they added, resulted in an estimate negative variance of just under $40,000.

“We did not think it would really be as much, but as the issue started to grow, it started to become very expensive,” Guthrie explained. “Overtime on staff, emergency services having to come here [to] break up fights.”

The city also pointed out that Stepping Stone had room in their overnight shelter during those first three months of the year. They will continue to welcome visitors after June 1.

“We will continue to offer safe and welcoming low-barrier shelter to those in our community in need,” Perrin Valli, Stepping Stone’s executive director, said in an email to CTV News.

“They should go where there’s a bed waiting for them. It shouldn’t have to be in the lobby of city hall,” said Guthrie.

“We, as the taxpayers, already pay millions of dollars a year to have that shelter system in place, and there’s really no reason why we should try to duplicate that.”

He added that he would like to see additional supports come from upper levels of government.

“All cities are grappling with these issues. They land on our doorstep and we have to respond. It’s becoming a very difficult arena in all municipalities to deal with.”

City hall, meantime, will return to regular operating hours on June 1. Doors are open between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.