North Bay adds 18 more shelter beds for the homeless

The number of people who are homeless in northeastern Ontario seems to be on the rise.

This winter, North Bay will be more than doubling the number of overnight shelter beds it can offer to those who need one.

Dennis Chippa knows about the issue of homelessness in North Bay. He's executive director of The Gathering Place, which serves as the city's soup kitchen and food distribution centre. It operates six days a week and serves about 1,300 meals a week.

It has also been a 12-bed warming centre or overnight emergency shelter for the past three winters.

Chippa says a new second shelter will open in gd2go, a former restaurant on Main Street East, adding 18 more beds for a total of 30.

Chippa says there was a marked increase in homelessness over the summer.

"A lot of times, people transition into town during the summer. And the folks that transitioned here this summer didn't leave and that's new," he said.

The new shelter will be operated independently by Nipissing Mental Health Housing and Support Services, but the two centres will work co-operatively by pooling volunteers and other resources, says Chippa.

Chippa says he's amazed by the North Bay community.

"We've always had a great response from the community. People coming in with hats and mitts and coats and things like that," he said. "But to have the agency support like it is now is just really gratifying for us."