A shocking miscommunication left a group of people gathered in the tiny trailer on Moss Park grounds Saturday night scrambling to find shelter, unaware that there was still space at the Better Living Centre respite site and other locations.Members of the Toronto Overdose Prevention Society took to Twitter, calling out Councillor Joe Mihevc (Ward 21, St. Paul’s West) for the lack of shelter spaces on a night when temperatures felt like minus 29 C with the wind chill. But city staff said that there was more space available than people were aware of. Gord Tanner, director of Homeless Initiatives and Prevention Services with the City of Toronto said as of midnight, the Better Living Centre had filled approximately 60 cots — 20 less than they were anticipating for the night, and far below their capacity of 110.“City shelter staff and shelter agencies have been working hard for months to deal with the unprecedented demand for our shelter system,” Mayor John Tory’s director of communications Don Peat said in a statement.“Staff have advised the Mayor that shelter occupancy was at 95 per cent last night, consistent with other nights over the past month.” Peat added that aside from about 60 spaces available at the Better Living Centre and the women’s respite on Cowan Ave., there were also 20 to 30 spaces at the Streets to Homes Assessment and Referral Centre on Peter St.However, Gillian Kolla, a Toronto Overdose Prevention Society staff member, said she was told there was no space available when she called Saturday night. The site at Moss Park was swamped with people who believed they had nowhere to go, Kolla said.“I remember opening the doors to the other side which is where we do distribution — people will grab water — and it was just filled with people coming in to warm up,” she said. “We’re not there to be a warming centre, but we’re the only warm thing in Moss Park.”With t ...
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