Media Releases
News Release
January
15, 2004
TORONTO OPENS ARMOURY AS TEMPORARY EMERGENCY SHELTER
The City of Toronto, through the co-operation of the federal government Department of National Defence, is opening an emergency shelter and referral centre at Fort York Armoury. The centre will open at 8:00 p.m. tonight — Thursday January 15th and will provide relief for 100 homeless people. Fort York Armoury is located at 660 Fleet Street West (at Strachan Avenue) and will operate on a 24-hour basis for an initial period of three weeks.
“We asked Minister of Defence David Pratt and the federal government to assist the City by opening the Fort York Armoury,” said Mayor Miller. “I am very pleased that they acted so swiftly. We must be able to provide short term solutions in times of great need, such as when the temperature is low enough to seriously endanger homeless people,” said Mayor Miller.
The Fort York Armoury will augment the existing permanent shelter beds available in 66 other City and provincially funded facilities. The last time Toronto federal armouries were opened as temporary shelters was in 1999.
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