Hamilton’s FirstOntario Centre will be the home of a new “surge” shelter to ease the burden for the city’s overcrowded men’s shelters during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the city’s town hall on Wednesday evening, Paul Johnson, the director of Hamilton’s emergency operations centre, said they’re in the process of turning the downtown arena into a 50-bed overflow shelter. “It’s going to help our three men’s shelters to actually lower their numbers within their shelters currently,” said Johnson. “They recognize that their setup does not allow for the kinds of physical distancing that will help stop the spread of this, and they are very susceptible to outbreaks because of the numbers of people there.” The city has also set aside hundreds of