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

[rocketphish]

Salvation Army shares plans to move shelter to new facility in Vanier
Coun. Mathieu Fleury says there should be a 'city-wide' process to find new location

By Matthew Kupfer, CBC News
Posted: Jun 21, 2017 9:54 PM ET Last Updated: Jun 22, 2017 1:26 PM ET

The Salvation Army formally announced a proposal Thursday morning to build a new facility in Vanier that will replace the emergency shelter it currently operates in the ByWard Market.

Glenn van Gulik, a Salvation Army spokesperson, told CBC News Wednesday the agency is opening a new facility on Montreal Road and will be shutting down its George Street facility in a few years if the proposal is approved and built.

"We've had the mayor and others express concerns about programs and services specifically in the downtown core," van Gulik said.

"While it's not a direct response to that, we are excited this will be a solution. We believe it will be a solution to the challenges that have been expressed by those in the community and our leaders in our city."

Van Gulik said the Salvation Army is building a 103,000 square-foot centre at 333 Montreal Rd. in Vanier — a location that's currently owned by the organization and is operated as one of its thrift stores and a motel — that will serve a variety of community needs.

"The facility will be a first-of-its-kind, and it's something that will enable us to deliver programs and services, many that we're delivering now, but will allow us to deliver those in new and innovative ways," he said.

More of the plans for this $50 million project were revealed Thursday morning, with architect Barry Hobin pitching a building made of wood and glass that would act as a social support hub, one that would be home to counseling, skills training and housing spaces.

Van Gulik said the agency's existing shelter on George Street in the ByWard Market would be shut down and sold to help pay for the new facility.

Rideau-Vanier councillor Mathieu Fleury, whose ward includes both the current and proposed sites, had previously expressed concerns about how the George Street emergency shelter operates and its safety measures.

He said there have been issues with access for emergency crews and day-to-day operations.

He said the proposed move is an opportunity for the ByWard Market to thrive and for the Salvation Army to run a shelter that's built and designed for a specific purpose, rather than one that's retrofitted in an existing building.

"A new built-form in the right location can really, really change the approach, change the dynamic for the [ByWard] Market, but also can offer a better service to our most vulnerable community members," Fleury said.

Fleury said he has concerns, however, that Montreal Road wouldn't be the right location for the community.

"We're struggling with the business mix," he said. "We've seen a drop in crime rate and we're working closely with a really engaged community and unfortunately, in my mind, the Salvation Army is coming out a bit late here. They should've recognized their investment and asked the community for feedback on a potential location."

Fleury said he wants a city-wide discussion on where Ottawa should have its emergency shelter.

"For me, there's a lot of concerns relating to community engagement," he said. "Let's make sure it's done right because that infrastructure, that purpose-built emergency shelter, will be in our community for a long time.

"That investment is worthwhile, but it has to be on the right site and designed accordingly."

Van Gulik said the Salvation Army has already done some community consultation ahead of the proposal that will be part of Thursday's announcement.

The agency will now be going through an intense engagement process with the community, city officials and stakeholders, he said.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/salvation-army-emergency-shelter-byward-vanier-1.4172483

[rocketphish]

Salvation Army planning to move shelter to Vanier

by Michelle Nash Baker
Jun 22, 2017 04:02 by Michelle Nash Baker Ottawa East News
eMail: [email protected]



Vanier’s top three elected officials are torn over the Salvation Army’s plans to move its downtown shelter to Montreal Road.

Ottawa-Vanier MP Mona Fortier, Ottawa-Vanier MPP Nathalie Des Rosier and Rideau-Vanier Coun. Mathieu Fleury released a joint statement shortly after the Salvation Army submitted plans to redevelop its thrift store location at 333 Montreal Rd. in Vanier on June 22.

“Emergency shelters and substance abuse facilities, when developed in partnership, have the ability to transform neighbourhoods in communities and truly offer the services that are needed,” the statement said.

The Salvation Army’s intention is to close its ByWard Market Booth Centre at 171 George St. and relocate to Vanier.

The three noted as representatives of both Lowertown and Vanier, the announcement from the Salvation Army came with mixed feelings.

“The exploratory site evaluation process completed by the Salvation Army requires in-depth consultations with stakeholders,” their statement said. “Among other considerations, efficient and affordable access to public transportation will ensure the clients have the greatest number of options for emergency housing, access to meals, employment, health care and support services.”

The $50-million plan includes four different on-site housing models, which includes emergency shelter accommodations, life skill, stabilization and addictions programing.

According to the Salvation Army’s public relations director, Glenn van Gulik, the process that involved finding a new location for its downtown centre began in 2010.

“It’s been a long process. We’ve been researching site selection analysis for almost seven years,” van Gulik said.

The organization reached out to CBRE, a real estate company, to research and analyze potential locations in the city for the Booth Centre’s new location. The search was completed in February of this year.

Potential neighbourhoods considered were Centretown, Lowertown, Vanier and the St. Laurent Boulevard area.

Based on costs, location and proximity to transit, van Gulik said 333 Montreal Rd. is the only site that made any sense at all.

Fleury said he only found out about the plans around 6 p.m. on June 21.

Residents in the area also found out hours before the plans were revealed.

“This is tremendous news for Ottawa,” Fleury said. “One part of me wears the hat of local councillor in Lowertown and says wow, it’s a tremendous day today. But for Vanier, I say woah, where does that site come from?”

Fleury has asked the Salvation Army to put their application to the city on hold until the organization and area representatives can explore more sites.

Chris Penton, recent Vanier Community Association president, said he was caught off-guard.

“There was no heads up, no engagement,” Penton said. “We did so much engagement over the last year for the redevelopment of Montreal Road, they (the Salvation Army) should have their ear to the ground about that sort of stuff, so it’s kind of disappointing. I guess the question is whether it’s a done deal.”

Penton said although he’s skeptical, he does hope there is a way to work with the organization before it breaks ground.

Van Gulik said the organization intends on hosting extensive community consultations.

Unlike the Booth Centre, which is widely known as an emergency shelter, van Gulik said this new 9,569-square-metre facility will be a community hub for its clients. There will be outdoor terraces and green spaces, with gardens — all in a secure area.

There will be counselling services, skills training, chaplaincy and worship, housing referrals, outreach services and emergency disaster services.

The Community and Family Services and Thrift Store will also be located at 333 Montreal Rd. with street access.

“We ensure it’s not just a relocation of a shelter,” van Gulik said. “We are not relocating a shelter, we are building a brand new, state of the art facility.”

According to van Gulik, the organization is decreasing the number of emergency beds and doubling the number of beds with supportive housing.

“It’s a new facility with a new approach,” he said.

Regardless of what will be offered at the new facility, for Fleury it’s important that other sites are considered before a decision of where it should be built is made, and whether the shelter moving to Vanier will in the end could be the best location.

“My mind is not there. I don’t want it to go there until that is the location,” Fleury said.

The plan is to break ground in the spring of 2019, with the intent to move in by fall 2019, or early winter 2020.

https://www.ottawacommunitynews.com/news...army-planning-to-move-shelter-to-vanier/

[Uhuniau]

The fact that all three elected officials were ready to go with a joint, already-translated statement, is suspicious.

How long have they known this was coming?

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

The fact that all three elected officials were ready to go with a joint, already-translated statement, is suspicious.

How long have they known this was coming?

Longer than they let on since Salvation Army did a press release yesterday and today all of the plans are uploaded on the City website. Salvation Army would have had to go through a formal pre-consultation meeting with City staff and I believe in this area the local Community Association is invited to attend (after signing a non-disclosure). The Councillor is usually informed about a pre-consult but silos of information are quite common at City Hall.

[Vanier]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

The fact that all three elected officials were ready to go with a joint, already-translated statement, is suspicious.

How long have they known this was coming?

I first heard rumours about this plan last fall. I heard it from a source I have with OPS who stated that it would be at the Concorde Hotel site. That person was quite concerned that a shelter would be relocated to Montreal Road as was I. Since then, I had heard it from others.

For these politicians to claim they were blindsided with the announcement this week is disingenuous at best. They knew and are now trying to sell it to the community. You don't go from zero to shovel ready without any down low consultation with the politicians and with the BIA. The politicians are feigning walking the fence and conversely, selling it at the same time.

Watch them subtly sell this proposal while pretending to represent the interests of Vanier. We are getting there already with the BIA selling the economic development and 200 new jobs!

Bull shit.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

Longer than they let on since Salvation Army did a press release yesterday and today all of the plans are uploaded on the City website.

I went looking, couldn't find. Link?

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by Vanier

Watch them subtly sell this proposal while pretending to represent the interests of Vanier. We are getting there already with the BIA selling the economic development and 200 new jobs!

Is that the same BIA that bitches about bus stops and bike lanes, too?

[kwoldtimer]

I heard on the CBC today that, according to the SA, about 75% of the clientele for the proposed Vanier facility already live in Vanier. I have no idea, but trust the local media will put a fact-checker on that.

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

I went looking, couldn't find. Link?

http://ottwatch.ca/devapps/D02-02-17-0062

[rocketphish]

The Salvation Army’s vision is to create a multi-purpose, state-of-the-art facility designed to serve a broad range of community needs while acting as a catalyst for the redevelopment of Montreal Road. This innovative approach will be very different from the conventional manner in which temporary accommodation is often provided. The complex design program includes 4 different on-site housing models centred on a hub of day programs and services. These housing models include:

• Emergency Accommodation: 140 beds for short-term stays;
• Working Men/Life Skills/Aging Demographic: 100 beds for men with various complex issues that require a greater degree of support;
• Stabilization and Anchorage: 50 beds for men committed and enrolled in the two-stage addictions rehabilitation program; and,
• Specialized Medical Care Unit: 60 care beds for men with varying degrees of health-related issues that require a more supportive approach.

The proposed facility has been carefully and thoughtfully designed to ensure a secure and attractive built form, while also achieving the vision of The Salvation Army for the facility. The building has a gross floor area of 6,159 square metres (66,295 square feet) and has been arranged, in plan, as an “H”. This built form has been examined and determined as the best configuration in response to the complex programming of the services provided in the building and the various site requirements for the facility. The two (2) separate wings provide the opportunity to segregate entrances and program spaces as needed to ensure the success of programs. It also allows for the internalization of the outdoor amenity areas, to mitigate impacts on the adjacent properties. The east wing has a height of three (3) storeys while the west wing has a height of six (6) storeys. The taller portion of the building has been located closer to Ste. Anne Avenue, given that the street is not exclusively residential in use, and includes institutional and commercial uses and buildings. The two (2) wings are connected by a two (2) storey communal area which provides multi-functional space in the interior, and architectural interest on the exterior.
The west wing of the facility will provide housing and program space for emergency accommodation, the specialized medical care unit, and the Working Men/Life Skills Training/Aging Demographic programs. The main entrance to the facility, located in the northwest corner of the entrance plaza, opens into the ground floors of this wing where multiple programs and services will have space; including general use rooms (computer rooms, TV rooms, like skills classrooms, multipurpose rooms and a chapel). Counselling, corrections, and outreach services will all have space on this floor to run programs and meet with clients. The basement; a bright space with significant windows and an adjacent sunken courtyard, will house the dining room, kitchen, storage space, maintenance and housekeeping rooms, as well as loading facilities and staff lounges.

The second floor of the west wing will contain the specialized medical care unit which provides medical services in partnership with Ottawa Inner City Health. This floor will contain a total of 60 beds, while floors 3 and 4 each contain 35 beds in addition to 28 life skills beds on floor and 27 working men’s beds on floor 4. The life skills training program equips clients with basic fundamental skills while the resident working men’s programs provides interim support for men as they transition into secure employment, continue to save money, and find a permanent place to call home. Floors 5 and 6 provide an additional 35 beds as well as 28 flex beds intended to assist with housing when all other accommodation is full.

The east wing contains housing and program space for the Stabilization and Anchorage programs, as well as administrative space for The Salvation Army. These programs provide services to men whom addiction is a barrier to remaining housed, allowing for a more supported and successful transition towards permanent housing.
The east wing is accessed by clients through a separate entrance in the northeast corner of the entrance plaza, and by staff through separate access from the surface parking area at the back of the site. The ground floor houses the administration, as well as program space and the reception area for the Stabilization and Anchorage programs. The second floor provides 20 beds, activity rooms, and a classroom for the Stabilization program; while the third floor provides similar space for the Anchorage program (including 30 beds).

Development application:
http://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/appDetails.jsf?lang=en&appId=__AL66P7

Google:
https://www.google.ca/maps/place/333+Mon...16a51836a!8m2!3d45.4379107!4d-75.6573645


Site:






Renderings:

[rocketphish]

Why the Sally Ann's Vanier move shows street smarts

Kelly Egan, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: June 23, 2017 | Last Updated: June 23, 2017 4:47 PM EDT

Set aside all the hand-wringing about process and public consultation — Ottawa’s cottage industry, if not its DNA — and ask the central questions.

Does it make sense for the Salvation Army to move its George Street shelter and social-service hub out of the ByWard Market, and is the proposed location on Montreal Road a good home?

Yes and yes.

For years, we’ve been collectively squawking about the concentration of shelters in the core: the Sally’s Booth Centre on George, the Shepherds of Good Hope, anchored at Murray Street and King Edward Avenue, and the Ottawa Mission on Waller Street.

The Salvation Army is in the middle, which doubly makes it a convergence spot for the poor, transient and mixed up — witness the brazen stabbing death of Kayla Sullivan, 30, in October 2016, over a puny amount of pot, one of those senseless wrong-place, wrong-time tragedies with urban planning as an accessory.

Not to mention the sidewalk parade of needles, panhandling and desperation now engrained in the ByWard’s fabric.

Importantly, the new centre will be purpose-built, a major improvement over current shelters, which tend to be converted schools with a prison-like feel: a grubby lobby/drop-in room, a control centre with beefy counter staff, buzzers to gain access to secure areas, steel bunks and food lines.

(The Booth Centre, which opened in 1963, is a former school, as are the Shepherds’ two main buildings.)

“It’s going to be a beautiful facility,” said Marc Provost, Booth’s executive director. “It will change the whole feel of the street.”

One of the main features of the $50-million plan is to bring the human traffic off the street and into courtyards and interior terraces where there is privacy and a sense of calm.

“This is a golden opportunity for us to do things differently, in a modern way.”

The shelters, too, have moved way past what used to be called “three-hots and a cot.” Now they are heavily into program delivery: housing support, employment searches, life skills, addiction treatment, foodbanks, clothing hampers, dentistry and medical care, family services.

“Things have evolved tremendously since 1963,” said Provost. “We offer a lot more services and the way we provide the services has evolved as well.”

The plan in Vanier is for a storefront with the existing thrift shop and a new coffee shop (staffed as an in-house enterprise), and to have the new building set back in an H-shape at the mid/rear of the property. He said it will look more like a condo than a social service centre, with lots of greenery and landscaping.

“It’s about the logistics and setting a tone.”

Provost said the Sally Ann hired a real estate firm to search for a new home and at least 15 central sites were considered. Firstly, the location had to be near the existing Salvation Army clients and be accessible by foot, transit and car.

(According to their locator-stats, the new home is close to 50 per cent of family service clients and 76 per cent of those touched by supportive housing programs.)

The site at 333 Montreal Rd. fits the bill. The existing Concorde Motel sits on a big, mostly empty lot with a patchy reputation and no future. It is destined, inevitably, for demolition. It is also right down the street from the Wabano Centre (299 Montreal), the magnificent building that is a hub for aboriginal health, social and cultural needs.

So, surely, it makes sense to provide services to the poor where the poor live. “We know the plans on Montreal Road,” he said, of a neighbourhood pulling itself up. “We very much feel that we’re part of the solution.”

Nor will it be a warehouse. Provost said there will be fewer emergency shelter beds (140) than there are today (150), but nearly twice as much as space — 103,000 square feet versus 60,000.

The Sally Ann says it has been in discussion with “all levels” of city staff for about a year and claims to be mystified that anyone at city hall is surprised at Thursday’s announcement of a planning application for a rezoning.

Provost said there will be plenty of opportunities for public consultation. The hope is to have a shovel in the ground in 2019, with an opening in 2020. Not to be forgotten are the vacated premises on George, ripe for redevelopment.

The Sally Ann is a private organization performing a public good, not a level of government.

Judge its plan, not its PR.

To contact Kelly Egan, please call 613-726-5896 or email [email protected]
Twitter.com/kellyegancolumn

http://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/columnists/egan-why-the-sally-anns-vanier-move-shows-street-smarts

[rocketphish]

Mayor Watson impressed by proposal to relocate Salvation Army shelter to Vanier

Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: June 23, 2017 | Last Updated: June 23, 2017 4:48 PM EDT

Mayor Jim Watson likes the proposal to relocate the Salvation Army shelter in the ByWard Market to a modern social services facility in Vanier, challenging opponents to suggest another location if not Montreal Road.

“I’ve been impressed with the work of the Salvation Army, the fact that they’ve hired one of the best architects, they recognize they have to build some kind of a courtyard so the clients aren’t simply milling about on the street, whether it be on George Street or Montreal Road, and my sense is they want to be a good neighbour and they recognize the property that they have right now is just not conducive to being as good a neighbour as they would like to be,” Watson said in an interview on Friday.

Watson said the local councillor, Mathieu Fleury, shouldn’t be concerned about community consultation since it’s just the beginning of the planning process.

Fleury, whose ward includes the current George Street shelter and the proposed site in Vanier, wishes the Salvation Army talked more with the city before making the decision to officially propose a facility at 333 Montreal Rd.

There could be city land or other land made available through philanthropy, he said.

“It’s great for the city and the investments in our community, and great for Lowertown and the ByWard Market,” Fleury said, “but that’s where they’ve fallen off track.”

There should be a pause on the development application until there is more consultation with the community, Fleury said.

Watson said there’s plenty of time to collect feedback.

“The public consultation process will kick in at the planning stage when the application goes forward by the Salvation Army. We’ll follow the full public consultation process,” Watson said. “There’s nothing that prevents Coun. Fleury from holding more meetings above and beyond that, but certainly from my understanding in dealing with (Fleury) over the past year, he’s been very much engaged with trying to move the Salvation Army out (of the ByWard Market) because there were too many shelter agencies in and around one particular neighbourhood.”

The Salvation Army’s plan calls for a 9,600-square-meter multi-purpose facility that includes the shelter, day programs, medical care, addiction services and administrative space. It would replace the Concorde Motel beside the current Salvation Army thrift store. A house on Ste. Anne Avenue would be demolished to provide a secondary access to the property.

There would be 350 beds in total, but the emergency shelter would use 140 of them. The remainder of the beds would be for other health and social service programs.

The Salvation Army’s planning application filed with the city exposes some obstacles the organization will need to overcome to build a shelter on Montreal Road.

For one, the property needs to be rezoned for a shelter. The road for that approval runs through the planning committee and city council.

Council will also need to be amenable to allowing a shelter to be located on a road classified as a traditional main street, contrary to the city’s land-use rules. In the development application, the Salvation Amy’s planning consultant argues that a shelter located at 333 Montreal Rd. suits a mixed-use area served by public transit. A shelter isn’t far off from the already-permitted hotel use for the property, consultants note.

The Salvation Army has veteran developers working on the proposal, including local architect Barry Hobin and planning firm Fotenn. Security consultant Security Through Safe Design has also provided an analysis that lauds the safety plan for the site.

The Vanier Community Association believes Montreal Road is at a turning point with a planned streetscape reconstruction, but it’s concerned about the concentration of social service agencies already in the corridor.

Watson predicted long debates about the Salvation Army’s site choice.

“I’m open to those people who oppose it to come forward with alternative sites for the Salvation Army to look at, but at the end of the day it’s a private organization that’s putting a bid on a motel and I think what they’re proposing would be miles ahead of the motel operation that’s there right now.”

Salvation Army spokesman Glenn van Gulik said the organization has been “open and transparent” with the city about its interest in relocating services to Montreal Road.

“We have been consulting with the city, the councillor and many others through the process,” van Gulik said.

“We believe firmly that 333 Montreal Rd. is the place to be.”

The Salvation Army is planning community consultations later this summer.

“We want to do it right,” van Gulik said.

[email protected]
twitter.com/JonathanWilling

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news...elocate-salvation-army-shelter-to-vanier

[JHikka]

So this gets the Salvation Army shelter out of Byward, correct?

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by JHikka

So this gets the Salvation Army shelter out of Byward, correct?

That's the plan

[TransitZilla]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

The Salvation Army’s vision is to create a multi-purpose, state-of-the-art facility designed to serve a broad range of community needs while acting as a catalyst for the redevelopment of Montreal Road. This innovative approach will be very different from the conventional manner in which temporary accommodation is often provided. The complex design program includes 4 different on-site housing models centred on a hub of day programs and services. These housing models include:

• Emergency Accommodation: 140 beds for short-term stays;
• Working Men/Life Skills/Aging Demographic: 100 beds for men with various complex issues that require a greater degree of support;
• Stabilization and Anchorage: 50 beds for men committed and enrolled in the two-stage addictions rehabilitation program; and,
• Specialized Medical Care Unit: 60 care beds for men with varying degrees of health-related issues that require a more supportive approach.

The proposed facility has been carefully and thoughtfully designed to ensure a secure and attractive built form, while also achieving the vision of The Salvation Army for the facility. The building has a gross floor area of 6,159 square metres (66,295 square feet) and has been arranged, in plan, as an “H”. This built form has been examined and determined as the best configuration in response to the complex programming of the services provided in the building and the various site requirements for the facility. The two (2) separate wings provide the opportunity to segregate entrances and program spaces as needed to ensure the success of programs. It also allows for the internalization of the outdoor amenity areas, to mitigate impacts on the adjacent properties. The east wing has a height of three (3) storeys while the west wing has a height of six (6) storeys. The taller portion of the building has been located closer to Ste. Anne Avenue, given that the street is not exclusively residential in use, and includes institutional and commercial uses and buildings. The two (2) wings are connected by a two (2) storey communal area which provides multi-functional space in the interior, and architectural interest on the exterior.
The west wing of the facility will provide housing and program space for emergency accommodation, the specialized medical care unit, and the Working Men/Life Skills Training/Aging Demographic programs. The main entrance to the facility, located in the northwest corner of the entrance plaza, opens into the ground floors of this wing where multiple programs and services will have space; including general use rooms (computer rooms, TV rooms, like skills classrooms, multipurpose rooms and a chapel). Counselling, corrections, and outreach services will all have space on this floor to run programs and meet with clients. The basement; a bright space with significant windows and an adjacent sunken courtyard, will house the dining room, kitchen, storage space, maintenance and housekeeping rooms, as well as loading facilities and staff lounges.

The second floor of the west wing will contain the specialized medical care unit which provides medical services in partnership with Ottawa Inner City Health. This floor will contain a total of 60 beds, while floors 3 and 4 each contain 35 beds in addition to 28 life skills beds on floor and 27 working men’s beds on floor 4. The life skills training program equips clients with basic fundamental skills while the resident working men’s programs provides interim support for men as they transition into secure employment, continue to save money, and find a permanent place to call home. Floors 5 and 6 provide an additional 35 beds as well as 28 flex beds intended to assist with housing when all other accommodation is full.

The east wing contains housing and program space for the Stabilization and Anchorage programs, as well as administrative space for The Salvation Army. These programs provide services to men whom addiction is a barrier to remaining housed, allowing for a more supported and successful transition towards permanent housing.
The east wing is accessed by clients through a separate entrance in the northeast corner of the entrance plaza, and by staff through separate access from the surface parking area at the back of the site. The ground floor houses the administration, as well as program space and the reception area for the Stabilization and Anchorage programs. The second floor provides 20 beds, activity rooms, and a classroom for the Stabilization program; while the third floor provides similar space for the Anchorage program (including 30 beds).

Development application:
http://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/appDetails.jsf?lang=en&appId=__AL66P7

Google:
https://www.google.ca/maps/place/333+Mon...16a51836a!8m2!3d45.4379107!4d-75.6573645


Site:






Renderings:

This actually seems pretty nicely designed; it's unfortunate they haven't tried to include some kind of amenity for the wider community like a gym. Maybe that would blunt some of the hostile reaction?

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

I heard on the CBC today that, according to the SA, about 75% of the clientele for the proposed Vanier facility already live in Vanier. I have no idea, but trust the local media will put a fact-checker on that.

They fudged that figure: 75% live in "Vanier Ward"... i.e., Rideau-Vanier, which includes the current site of the shelter, Lowertown, Rideau Street, Sandy Hill, etc.

[Uhuniau]

All that and the dingy thrift store doesn't get replaced?

[rocketphish]

I always assumed that the Concorde was a hooker hotel, but I didn't know it was owned by the Sally Ann. Maybe it was being used as housing for those in need? Either way, it will be nice to see that replaced.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

That's the plan

That's the only thing Watson cares about.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

That's the only thing Watson cares about.

I'm not a big fan of Jimbo, but reducing the number of shelters in a city's major tourist area from three to two seems like a reasonable objective for a mayor.