What to expect at new shelter in old Royal Vic hospital
Unknowns remain about overflow shelter for people and pets, but mission CEO says it’s the right thing to do, writes Catherine Solyom.
There were few signs of life Monday at the old Royal Victoria Hospital — just a single truck from the Maison du Père outside the Ross Pavilion, and a list of guidelines tacked up in the abandoned lobby, hinting at its new vocation:
“The person and their pet should be treated as a single entity until their departure ... separating them would increase the level of stress and make managing (the site) much more complex.” Only one dog in an elevator at a time. People in reception should have doggie treats on hand.
Following the tragic story of a dog that froze to death in his master’s arms in November, the Ross Pavilion, built in 1916 to house private, well-to-do patients, is being transformed into an overflow shelter for up to 80 homeless people and their pets.
Sam Watts, the CEO and executive director of The Welcome Hall Mission, one of three shelters working together to make it happen, explained the genesis of the project and how the shelter will run, starting Tuesday.
A shuttle, operated by the Old Brewery Mission, already runs from 2 p.m. to 8 a.m., bringing people to a shelter where there’s a bed.
But when the regular shelters are full, or if they have pets — dogs, cats or rodents — the shuttle will bring them up the hill to the hospital, which will be open 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. until mid-April.
There are a few unknowns, however, Watts told The Montreal Gazette.
“It’s an interesting risk we decided to take, but it’s the right thing to do,” Watts said. “And sometimes when you do the right thing, good things happen.”
The interview has been edited for clarity and length.
QWhere did the idea for an overflow shelter for people and pets come from?
AIt was an idea we came up with with the Old Brewery Mission and the Maison du Père over coffee. We first presented it to (former mayor Denis) Coderre, but it didn’t go anywhere. We presented it again last year but it didn’t go anywhere either. But this year, with the early cold snap in November and the dog who died, (Mayor) Valérie Plante called and said what will we do? I said if we solve the problem of human homelessness, the dogs will follow. It got this idea back on the table. We pitched it Nov. 14 and the shelter is opening Jan. 15.
QThe Old Brewery Mission’s shuttle will bring them up the hill during the night, but what will happen in the morning?
AWe’re thinking we will take them for breakfast, rotating between various shelters. But if someone wants to go to a particular shelter, we’ll drop them there. We’re not just trying to get them a bed for a night, but to make a connection where they can
see a path out of homelessness and back into mainstream society . ... We tend to be opposed to people going and giving out blankets and sandwiches to homeless people. We don’t want to make people comfortable on the streets, we want to bring them in. But they have to want to get off the street.
QHow will you accommodate people with their pets at the hospital?
AThe plan is to have people in beds sleeping next to their dogs in cages. We’ll see how it goes. We’ll have people there who have experience and the ability to make judgment calls. If a pet howls all night or is aggressive, it might change things. We’re working with the SPCA and vets and we’ll find our way through it.
QHow will the place be set up to ensure personal safety?
AThe rooms are double rooms and they will be secure. There will be a women’s side and a men’s side separated by security. If we get transgender people there will be a special area where we can accommodate them without mixing them with one or the other gender. We will have intervention workers but also security staff from the regional health board familiar with how to welcome people in a hospital venue. They are being trained with how to deal with this clientele.
QWill people be allowed to drink alcohol?
AIt won’t be a ‘wet shelter,’ but there will be high accessibility. We’re not looking at having a ton of rules. As long as they are not a threat to others they will be welcomed. There is a consultation going on about wet shelters. I’m of the school that says let’s try something. If it doesn’t work, let’s try something else.
QWhat are the other unknowns in opening this shelter?
AThe biggest unknown is how many people will avail themselves of this service. We’re big collectors of data. People don’t just come and go. Once in a while someone checks in as ‘Mr. X’ but mostly we know who they are. But we want to know, is there really a serious shortage of women’s beds in Montreal? I think there is. Maybe we’ll know for sure in four months. How many have animals? How many want off the street? It could be very interesting to see, with 80 beds, will we get 12 people every night or 79?