TAKE ACTION

Ask Mayor Tory to Open
Emergency Warming Centres Now

Image inviting people to attend a silent prayer vigil at Nathan Phillips Square, Tuesday, January 31st at 12:30pm.

January 31st, 12:30-1:00 PM

Nathan Philip’s Square
Interfaith Silent Prayer Vigil for:

Open Warming Centres 24/7 Now!
More Safe Shelters Spaces!
Work with Province and Feds on Housing for All!

On January 5th, over 150 faith leaders signed a letter asking for an emergency meeting with the mayor to discuss solutions to the crisis. Since then, nearly 1700 people have emailed the mayor asking for a compassionate response to prevent freezing deaths and injuries. Other groups like Shelter Housing Justice Network and Health Providers Against Poverty wrote a letter that was signed by over 2000 Torontonians and the media has been talking about the crisis for weeks. With so many people crying out, now is the optimal time for us to put our faith into action. Please join in person or by posting a picture representing your prayer for compassion.

We’ll be praying for a compassionate response to our housing crisis, while the Executive Committee is meeting on January 31st.

Plan to arrive at 12:15 PM. Media will be invited for 12:30 PM.
Signs are welcome with messages:

*Sacred scriptures about caring for one another
*Asks for more Housing, Shelter, and Warming Centres

Write a letter to the Mayor and Toronto City Councillors

Toronto’s shelter system is overcapacity (168 people needing a shelter bed are turned away every single day). The emergency warming centres only open during extreme cold temperatures of -15 degrees or colder. On December 25th, while many Torontonians where celebrating Christmas and Chanukah, one person froze to death in their tent on our streets.

increase the number of warming centres across the GTA
make access to warming centres available 24 hours/day throughout the winter months
end encampment evictions and the destruction of survival gear
keep the current shelter spaces open, including shelter hotels
add an additional 2,700 non-congregate spaces within the regular shelter system

Help us get to 1680 signatures this week so that 168 people needing shelter tonight will be safe.

Below is a letter template. You are invited to customize the content of this letter as much or as little as you’d like.

An illustration with people sitting in front of tents with text that reads, "Open Warming Centres Now" and "Tonight 168 people will be turned aay from the Toronto shelter system because there is no space."

Click here to read the January 5, 2023 letter sent to Mayor John Tory on behalf of over 150 faith leaders from across the city.

Open Emergency Warming Centres Now

Dear Mayor Tory and City Councillors,

On December 25th, while many Torontonians celebrated Chanukah and Christmas in their homes and sanctuaries, one person froze to death on our streets. Two weeks later, a second person living outside died. I fear there will be more injuries and deaths if the city does not immediately open more warming centre spaces and keep them open 24/7 during the winter months.

While shelter workers are doing their best within the limited resource, by the city’s own reports there are not enough shelter spaces for people who need them. On average 168 people seeking shelter are turned away onto the streets every day. As I write, people are living in sub-zero temperatures which has led to injury, mental distress, and death. This is unacceptable. Toronto is a compassionate city with the resources to open enough shelter and warming centre spaces for everyone who needs one.

Now is not the time to close the shelter hotels or further reduce the shelter services. It is the time to increase support. Currently, our emergency warming centres are only open during a cold weather emergency, or when temperatures reach -15 degrees or -20 degrees with the wind chill. Over the years, this formula has led to injury and deaths. 24 hour access to a warm and dry indoor space during the winter months is a necessary service that our city should provide as we work together to achieve the goal of housing for all - and in fact, was a service the city did provide for several years, until the pandemic began.

We know the long-term solution is for the federal, provincial, and municipal governments to work together on safe affordable housing, but until everyone is housed, we need life saving measures in place. I am asking the city to:

- increase the number of warming centres across the GTA
- make access to warming centres available 24 hours/day throughout the winter months
- end encampment evictions and the destruction of survival gear
- keep the current shelter spaces open, including the five shelter hotels slated for closing in 2023.
- add an additional 2,700 non-congregate spaces within the regular shelter system

I call on our city to respond to the crisis facing many of Toronto’s inhabitants by immediately implementing these five live saving measures.

Sincerely,

You can add formatting using markdown syntax - read more

Sent to: Mayor John Tory, Councillor Vincent Crisanti, Councillor Stephen Holyday, Councillor Amber Morley, Councillor Gord Perks, Councillor Frances Nunziata, Councillor James Pasternak, Councillor Anthony Perruzza, Councillor Mike Colle, Councillor Alejandra Bravo, Councillor Ausma Malik, Councillor Dianne Saxe, Councillor Josh Matlow, Councillor Chris Moise, Councillor Paula Fletcher, Councillor Jaye Robinson, Councillor Jon Burnside, Councillor Shelley Carroll, Councillor Lily Cheng, Councillor Brad Bradford, Councillor Gary Crawford, Councillor Michael Thompson, Councillor Nick Mantas, Jamaal Myers, Councillor Paul Ainslie, Councillor Jennifer McKelvie

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1,850 signatures = 110% of goal

1,680

It will take a bit of time for your name to show up on the list of letter writers. Do not fret —
if you see the confirmation message, your letter has gone through.

Latest Letter Senders

1,850

Molly J.

Feb 14, 2023

1,849

Peter L.

Feb 12, 2023

1,848

Clotilda D.

Feb 10, 2023

1,847

Corinne M.

Feb 09, 2023

1,846

Brady C.

Feb 08, 2023

1,845

Barbara B.

Feb 07, 2023

1,844

Janet K.

Feb 07, 2023

1,843

Melissa p.

Feb 07, 2023

1,842

Lily D.

Feb 07, 2023

1,841

K L K.

Feb 07, 2023

1,840

Patricia B.

Feb 06, 2023

1,839

Marius O.

Feb 06, 2023

1,838

Paroshat v.

Feb 06, 2023

1,837

Sepideh A.

Feb 06, 2023

1,836

Camille P.

Feb 06, 2023

1,835

Robert B.

Feb 06, 2023

1,834

Eric M.

Feb 06, 2023

1,833

Sigi S.

Feb 06, 2023

1,832

Karen S.

Feb 06, 2023

1,831

Katrina T.

Feb 06, 2023

1,830

Betina S.

Feb 06, 2023

1,829

ida k.

Feb 05, 2023

1,828

France L.

Feb 05, 2023

1,827

Beth A.

Feb 05, 2023

1,826

Ron H.

Feb 05, 2023

<< < > >>

What can I do now?

Speak to people within your community about the importance of Immediately Opening Warming Centres to save lives this winter. Invite them here to submit their own letter!
Share the Open Warming Centres NOW campaign to your social media. You can use the links provided at the bottom of the petition box, or share the graphics below.

TIP: You can copy and paste the following social media handles directly into your messages and tag the mayor and city councillors:

INSTAGRAM
@johntory @councillor.crisanti @cllrambermorley @cllrgordperks @jamespasternak @perruzza_to @mike.colle @bravodavenport @ausmalik @dianne.saxe @joshmatlow @chrismoiseto @paulafletcher @jaye.robinson @jon_burnside @shelleycarrollto @lilycheng.ca @bradfordgrams @cllrcrawford20 @councillor_thompson @nick.mantas @cllrjamaalmyers @paulainslie @mckelvieward25

Hashtags: #cityoftoronto #torontocityhall #openwarmingcentres #warmingcentres #Toronto

FACEBOOK
@TorontosMayor @stephenholyday2 @CllrAmberMorley @GordPerks @Frances.Nunziata.Ward5 @PasternakTO @AnthonyPerruzza @collemike88 @BravoDavenport @AusmaMalikTO @diannesaxe.mc @JMatlow @ChrisMoiseTO @paulafletcherTO @JayeRobinsonWard15 @ShelleyCarrollTO @/LilyChengTO @BradMBradford @cllrcrawford @MichaelThompsonTO @nickmantas.TO @CllrJamaalMyers @councillorainslie @McKelvieWard25

Hashtags: #cityoftoronto #topoli #openwarmingcentres #warmingcentres #Toronto

TWITTER
@JohnTory @vcrisanti @stephenholyday @CllrAmberMorley @gordperks @FrancesNunziata @PasternakTO @PerruzzaTO @MikeColleTo @BravoDavenport @ausmalik @DianneSaxe @JoshMatlow @ChrisMoiseTO @PaulaFletcherTO @JayeRobinson @shelleycarroll @LilyCheng @BradMBradford @CllrCrawford @Thompson_37 @nickmantas_ @CllrJamaalMyers @cllrainslie @McKelvieWard25

Media: @CityNews680 @CBCToronto @CP24 @CityNewsTO @GlobalNewsTO @CTVToronto @tvo @OMNITelevision @nowtoronto @TorontoLife @DailyHiveTO @streetsoftrnto @breakfasttv @NEWSTALK1010 @blogTO @TorontoStar @globeandmail @nationalpost @BroadviewMag

Hashtags: #CityOfTO #TOpoli #openwarmingcentres #warmingcentres #Toronto