Thunder Bay continues to expand number of rooms available for isolation and shelter

As frigid temperatures persist in northwestern Ontario and concerns that COVID-19 is spreading within the vulnerable population in the city, the Thunder Bay District Social Services Administration Board says there are enough isolation spaces to meet the demand.

The board said in a media release they have more isolation rooms available than what has been required over the past week.

"We always had expansionary plans in case of contingency, but recently as more virus spread came into play and different factors came into play, we just said okay now we're opening more space," said Ken Ranta, the board's director of integrated supportservices.

Concerns were raised in recent weeks about whether there were enough physical sheltering spaces for people in Thunder Bay after the Shelter House was placed on a static bed list and overnight temperatures dropped below -30 C.

In a recent deputation to city council, the activist group Not One More Death explicitly called for an emergency shelter space to be made available. And the Thunder Bay Public Library issued its own release in support of that position, even recommending the site of the former Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital.

'We could go up to 100 rooms or more': TBDSSAB

But in response, the district social services board confirmed that they now have 56 rooms available for either overflow, if existing shelters are full, or isolation if someone doesn't have anywhere else they can go.

In its media release, the board said an average of only 35 to 44 rooms had been filled in recent days.

Ranta said they have the financial capacity to continue expanding the number of physical spaces available.

"We could go up to 100 rooms or more as required. So it's really just driven by the need in the community."

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But he added that the role of the social services board in responding to the sheltering crisis is access to physical space, while other agencies in the city are responsible for providing the additional supports and resources that may be required.

The expansion to 56 rooms is a recent one.

Earlier in 2021, the CBC reported there were 28 rooms available at the isolation/overflow shelter.

Then Cynthia Olsen, the chair of Thunder Bay's vulnerable population COVID-19 planning table, confirmed in an interview with CBC that the number of rooms available had expanded to 40 rooms last week.