‘Certainly a blessing’: Homeless Londoner at new overnight warming centre grateful to escape frigid temperature

Carling Heights Optimists Community Centre on Jan. 21, 2025, after being turned into an overnight Warming Centre (Daryl Newcombe/CTV News London)

Even before it was scheduled to open at 10 p.m., homeless Londoners were being welcomed into the city’s new overnight warming centre inside the Carling Heights Optimist Community Centre (CHOCC).

“It is certainly a blessing,” said Kelly Redman, who spent Monday night in a stairwell to survive the frigid temperatures. “The mayor and the city has worked in unity to establish such an awesome alternative to the outside because that’s not a good place to be tonight.”

Despite the late hour, City Manager Sandra Datars Bere, Mayor Josh Morgan, and Deputy City Manager of Social and Health Development Kevin Dickins were on scene assisting staff to complete the rapid rollout of the centre.

The mayor told CTV News that he and senior city staff began planning for the temporary overnight warming centre began immediately after Tuesday’s council meeting.

“What we came up with tonight, [is] something that we could activate relatively quickly, that we could pull agencies and staff together, and we could get some people off the street tonight,” explained Morgan. “It’s not necessarily a sustainable solution, but it’s something that we could do during the cold weather tonight.”

The facility will offer cots, blankets, food, and beverages.

The decision to activate the warming centre was made after the city’s shelter system reached capacity, including the 44 additional spaces created in response to the health unit’s cold weather alert.

All recreational programming has been cancelled at CHOCC until Friday at noon.

The Middlesex London Health Unit has extended its extreme cold weather warning until Thursday.

Carling Heights Optimist Community Centre is located at 656 Elizabeth St.