The city has identified five city-owned sites to host sprung-shelter facilities for newcomers and asylum seekers and is proceeding with next steps, although the affected communities have been taking to the streets in protest.
Claire Freire, general manager of community and social services at the City of Ottawa, said in a memo Thursday that the city had selected its “top five” options for the newcomer reception project and is fast-tracking necessary planning and funding in order to have the facilities operational by the end of 2025.
The following five city-owned properties have been identified: 40 Hearst Way; 3311 Woodroffe Ave.; 160 Lees Ave.; 1645 Woodroffe Ave.; and, 1005/1045 Greenbank Rd. The properties have all been examined for proximity to public transit, walkability and the City’s Neighbourhood Equity Index.
The first structure will be built at 1645 Woodroffe Ave., which is a portion of the NCC-owned parcel. The City currently leases the land for an underutilized football field. The property also houses the Nepean Sportsplex and an OCDSB training facility, which the memo said could allow for additional programming at the centre.
A pre-construction estimate for the total cost of this facility, conducted by Stantec, sits at about $3.5 million.
If necessary, the second facility will be built on Hearst Way, which is located west of Eagleson Road and the Eagleson BRT station. It is near the future Stage 2 LRT station and currently serves as overflow parking for the Eagleson Park & Ride. Stantec estimates a price tag of $1.9 million for this facility.
The newcomer reception project aims to address the ongoing pressure on Ottawa’s social and community services as a result of an influx of newcomers and immigrants in addition to the city’s ongoing homelessness crisis. The key aspects of the project include temporary lodging in one of the reception centres for up to 90 days, followed by connection to community and health resources, employment, interpretation and translation services and language training, and access to transitional housing and ongoing housing support.
There are currently 330 beds at temporary emergency overflow centres in the city, two of which are operating out of City-owned recreation facilities. Approximately 600 single individuals staying in shelters are newcomers, which represents 60 per cent of shelter users.
The semi-permanent structure for the reception centres is estimated to be more affordable to operate and maintain and can speed up the timeline for opening the centre.
For over a year, the city has been working with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to secure federal funding and support newcomers to the city. The project has been designed to provide temporary accommodations in reception and lodging centres with onsite settlement supports, as well as housing search and employment-related services, followed by relocation to community-based transitional or permanent housing within 90 days of arrival at the reception centre. The current average duration of stay at the available overflow centres is about 200 days.
The welcome centres will serve adult newcomers, the memo explained, and the City is continuing to work with IRCC to develop plans that can address the unique needs of families that are arriving in Ottawa.
However, some residents have taken to protest sites selected to host the shelters, expressing concerns about the impact on their neighbourhoods.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said he wanted to remind residents that the welcome centres are not permanent housing and that the community centres currently housing newcomers should be returned to their communities.
“Change is difficult, uncertainty is challenging, so people are obviously asking lots of questions, and we’re going to do our best to answer those questions,” he said. “I want to remind people that staff are doing everything they can to manage a very difficult situation with the limited resources we have at the city of Ottawa.”
In the coming months, city staff will be advancing planning applications and working to secure approvals from the National Capital Commission (NCC), as well as conducting zoning reports, submitting building permit applications and Site Plan Control applications, notifying and consulting the community, and working towards issuing a design-build contract.
The Newcomer Reception Centres aim to be operational at the end of 2025, the memo added. The City is also working to establish the next steps for the program, including securing homes for transitional housing.
The project has faced criticism during the selection process, namely from Nepean MPP Lisa MacLeod, who has organized protests and rallies to protest the sprung shelters in her constituency.
In a letter to the public, she argues that residents in Knoxdale-Merivale have not been adequately consulted about the project, and calls on Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and Knoxdale-Merivale Counc. Sean Device to host a public meeting, inform residents and organize a webinar with a panel discussion.
MacLeod said the councillor’s position “has unfortunately undermined our collective response to City Hall.”
Last week, before the locations were finalized, Last week, Barrhaven residents gathered to protest a proposed structure in their neighbourhood, backed by Barrhaven East Coun. Wilson Lo and Barrhaven West Coun. David Hill. The group of residents, Barrhaven Residents Against Sprung Shelter (BRASS), was protesting a proposed shelter at 1025 Greenbank Rd. The location has since been removed from the list of considerations.
Over the weekend, more concerned residents gathered at 40 Hearst Way to protest the structure proposed for Kanata, and MacLeod’s statement said residents in Knoxdale-Merivale are planning to create a group similar to BRASS.
“While I will leave the formation of such a group to the grassroots efforts of the community, please rest assured that I will support these initiatives should the community choose to pursue them,” her letter read.
Kanata South Coun. Allan Hubley said he was not consulted about a sprung shelter in his ward until the day the report was released.
“My view is because of the lack of consultation and information, there are a lot of questions from the community and myself. While I can support the need for welcoming centres, I am not convinced taking away spaces in a Park’n’Ride is the best approach,” Hubley told Ottawa Compass. “People are angry, and rightly so, at how they were treated in this selection process. I am too.”
On Friday, Sutcliffe said city staff are committed to transparency throughout the process and will prioritize ensuring “the entire community is behind this solution.”
He also shared that although he was born in Ottawa, his parents both were immigrants to Canada; his father was born in England, and his mother’s family “came here to escape communist China.”
“At every stage in our history, we have welcomed people to Ottawa,” he said. “[Newcomers] are a part of our city and building our city. We have always been very welcoming.
“This is a time when we need to extend a hand to people who are escaping very, very different circumstances in their home communities and moving to Canada seeking asylum and seeking refuge,” he continued. “We must put our arms around these people and welcome them. This should not become a political fight. This should become an opportunity to share generously with people who need help.”
