The County of Simcoe says 7,494 overnight stays were provided through its network of warming centres this winter, including locations in Barrie, Bradford, Midland, Orillia, and Wasaga Beach.
With warming centres now closed for the season, the county is thanking residents, community partners, and local businesses for helping to ensure people had access to a warm place to sleep during one of the snowiest winters in recent memory.
“Over the winter, the county opened eight warming centres across Simcoe County – including 24/7 sites in the cities of Barrie and Orillia,” explained Warden Basil Clarke. “Through Orillia’s warming centre alone, staff were able to help eleven individuals transition into permanent housing, while connecting many others to emergency shelters, housing resources, and healthcare services. These successful outcomes are exactly why we go above and beyond for our community: to build up homes, lives, and hope.”
Over the winter season, the County of Simcoe and its partners reported:
- Opened 8 warming centres across the region, including Barrie, Bradford, Midland, Orillia, and Wasaga Beach
- Overnight: Provided 7,494 overnight stays, ensuring 846 unique individuals had a warm and dry place to sleep
- Daytime: Offered 353 individuals opportunities to warm up on 885 occasions during the coldest days
- To maximize options for access to warm, indoor locations, all 6 County of Simcoe Social and Community Services were open during business hours for individuals to come in from the cold. These sites will continue to offer refuge from the heat and inclement weather throughout the summer months
- Offered access to meals and food services, in addition to free laundry facilities and donated clothing across various warming centre locations
- Connected unhoused individuals to long-term supports, including food banks, shelters, Ontario Works services, health-related supports and connections, supportive housing, HART Hub services, and bridge housing, among others
As the seasonal program closes, the county says planning is already underway for the 2026–27 winter response strategy.
