333 Montreal Rd [Salvation Army] | 10+13m | 3+4f | Approved

[kwoldtimer]

The site must be worth big money (there's parking and another structure behind the main building), but probably not nearly enough to meet the need.

[BlueJay]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

The site must be worth big money (there's parking and another structure behind the main building), but probably not nearly enough to meet the need.

This site is worth big money for sure. Multiple developers have been in discussions with the SA. It's only a matter of time before it is sold. Most likely after the Montreal project is actually confirmed.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by BlueJay

This site is worth big money for sure. Multiple developers have been in discussions with the SA. It's only a matter of time before it is sold. Most likely after the Montreal project is actually confirmed.

It's theoretically worth a lot but selling would likely require them to change their whole model as they'd never be able to build the same concept elsewhere. Of course they could buy 20+ townhouses across the city but as much as we pretend it's about housing we know that wouldn't work as it's not really about a bed to put your head down on.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

It's theoretically worth a lot but selling would likely require them to change their whole model as they'd never be able to build the same concept elsewhere. Of course they could buy 20+ townhouses across the city but as much as we pretend it's about housing we know that wouldn't work as it's not really about a bed to put your head down on.

Just as with Good Shepherds, they need to run a consolidated operation to keep admin costs down.

[rocketphish]

Salvation Army's shelter project in Vanier not going ahead as proposed
Organization says rising costs have stalled Montreal Road project

Cameron Mahler · CBC News
Posted: Jun 21, 2026 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 5 hours ago

The Salvation Army says rising costs mean its future shelter and social services hub on Montreal Road will not move ahead as it was proposed.

In a statement to CBC, the organization said the proposed Centre of Hope at 333 Montreal Rd. “will not proceed as originally conceived.”

“Since initial site plan approvals were secured several years ago, construction costs and market conditions have changed significantly,” the statement reads.

The Salvation Army said no decisions have been made about the project's future, but there are "internal discussions" underway about next steps.

The proposed development was initially approved with roughly 350 shelter beds in 2017 after a week of marathon meetings. After facing opposition from the community an Ontario Land Tribunal appeal, which failed, the project scope was scaled back to 211 beds in 2022.

Rideau-Vanier Coun. Stephanie Plante said she’s heard little about the project since taking office later that same year.

“I think it's safe to say the residents of Vanier were never for this project,” she said.

“If the Salvation Army is to come forward with a project that includes housing, I think the residents would be open to that.”

The update comes as the approach to tackling homelessness in Ottawa is evolving.

Last week, the Shepherds of Good Hope announced plans to eventually replace its Lowertown emergency shelter with supportive housing, with its CEO saying longer-term housing leads to better outcomes for clients.

Plante said she wants to see any future Salvation Army project on Montreal Road follow that example.

“We recognize that shelters are not a solution,” she said.

It's a sentiment that's echoed by Drew Dobson, the president of SOS Vanier, a residents’ group he founded to promote alternative solutions to homelessness.

They opposed the original Centre of Hope proposal, believing the solution was "housing rather than shelters."

“We believe that shelters were warehousing of the homeless and we were very opposed to it,” said Dobson, adding he was "heartened" to hear the project had stalled.

“Shelter beds are a thing of the past," he said.

If the Salvation Army returns to the project, Dobson hopes it will focus on longer-term solutions.

"We've got to maintain the beds that we have now," he said. "But I think every homeless person we get in the future, we have to find them homes.”

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/sa...er-not-going-ahead-as-proposed-9.7243239

[J.OT13]

It was always a pretty terrible idea to just shift the shelter from the Market to Vanier. Deeply affordable housing over a podium that offers services and retail, maybe a salvation army second hand store and some sort of deeply affordable grocery store, would be good.

[kwoldtimer]

It would offer a better location for housing for the currently homeless than the Good Shepherds building, but no idea where the money would come from.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

It would offer a better location for housing for the currently homeless than the Good Shepherds building, but no idea where the money would come from.

I agree. You have to get those who are ready to get off the street further away from those who continue to live destructive lives.

The Feds and City have been investing heavily in affordable housing, so getting funding is not impossible.

It's too bad Doug Ford is more focused on sweeping the homeless and drug crisis under the rug instead of helping to get them off the street and off the drugs.