With a sudden and severe cold snap descending on the city, Montreal officials have activated emergency measures to protect its unhoused population. Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada announced the opening of a new temporary shelter and called for city-wide solidarity as temperatures are forecast to plummet.
Emergency Response Activated
At a press conference at city hall on Thursday, Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada, flanked by members of a newly formed homelessness crisis unit, outlined the city's urgent plan. "Winter arrived much too fast," Martinez Ferrada stated. "We are working on more long-term measures for the winter … but the next four days will be important."
The centerpiece of the immediate response is the opening of a temporary 135-space shelter in the downtown YMCA building. This facility, which will be operated by security teams hired by the city, is a separate initiative from the 500 additional warming centre spots the city aims to establish before Christmas.
City-Wide Call for Help and Tolerance
Facing forecasts of temperatures dropping to a low of minus-14 degrees Celsius by Thursday evening, with a wind chill making it feel like minus-22, the mayor made a direct appeal to the public. She asked residents, boroughs, businesses, and community groups to contribute in any way they can.
Key requests from the city include:
- Residents with extra winter gloves, hats, or sleeping bags are asked to call 211 to find donation locations.
- Boroughs and organizations with small spaces that could be quickly converted into warming centres are urged to come forward.
- A general plea for tolerance and solidarity from all Montrealers towards vulnerable individuals during the extreme cold.
City councillor Benoit Langevin, the executive committee member responsible for cohabitation, acknowledged the challenges. "In an emergency situation like this one, unfortunately, there won’t be any perfect solutions," Langevin said. "But we need solidarity, and above all, tolerance." He referenced ongoing community consultations, including in Rosemont where a temporary 20-space shelter for women is opening in a church.
Increased Outreach and Transit Tolerance
The city is deploying teams from the police and fire departments across Montreal to locate unhoused people and direct them to services over the coming days.
In a significant shift, the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) also announced a more tolerant approach during the cold snap. STM Director General Marie-Claude Léonard, speaking alongside the mayor, said transit employees have been asked to exercise judgment regarding people seeking warmth in métro stations. This comes after criticism earlier this year over an anti-loitering policy.
"What we’ve asked our people is to exercise judgment," Léonard explained. "Each situation will be evaluated on an individual basis… taking into account the person’s health, mental state and needs. When people are on the métro and not causing any issues, there will be tolerance."
The mayor also addressed concerns from some residents, such as those near a planned warming centre in Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, stressing that the city is moving quickly out of necessity and that the locations are temporary winter measures.
