Winter Response Strategy

Open door inviting people into warm room

Effective from Dec 1, 2023, to Mar 31, 2024.

As a result of the City of Hamilton’s ongoing commitment to addressing capacity pressures in the homelessness serving system, service delivery for specific services initiated through the Winter Response Strategy have been temporarily extended.

The City, along with community partners, have committed to extending services which specifically added capacity for an additional temporary period of April 1, 2024 to November 30, 2024.

For details on services temporarily extended to November 30, 2024, please visit Emergency Shelters & Drop-ins, then “Temporary Extended Services” Tab.

The City of Hamilton, along with community partners, have launched a comprehensive Winter Response Strategy to better address the needs of those experiencing homelessness during the winter months.

The program is effective from December 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024 and is not tied to the City’s Cold Alert system like it was previously. The offerings as part of the response will be available ongoing during this time period, regardless of the temperature outdoors.

This program represents an elevated standard of winter response service, surpassing the city's prior offerings, with the aim of providing a more effective response to the community's needs, specifically for the unhoused.

Winter Response Measures

To offer protection for and safety throughout the winter season for unhoused individuals, these measures will be implemented:

A designated HSR bus will be in service daily from 10 pm to 6 am, free of charge for those in need of a place to warm up during the night hours when temperatures can be at their lowest point of the day.

The warm bus will be staffed with two outreach employees who will be there to assist with the riders as needed. This bus will run on a predetermined route, targeting core areas of the city as well as stop at designated recreation centres with extended hours.

The stops for the warming bus are:

Westmount Recreation Centre at 10pm, 1am, 4am
Mohawk Rd. & Upper James St. at 10:08pm, 1:08am, 4:08am
Lime Ridge Mall, Route 26 at 10:14pm, 1:14am, 4:14am
Valley Park Recreation Centre at 10:25pm, 1:25am, 4:25am
Stoney Creek Recreation Centre at 10:43pm, 1:43am, 4:43am
Eastgate Square Terminal at 10:47pm, 2am, 5am
Walmart Supercentre, Stoney Creek at 11:15pm, 2:15am, 5:15am
Norman Pinky Lewis Recreation Centre at 11:35pm, 2:35am, 5:35am
King St. E. & Victoria Ave. S. at 11:43pm, 2:43am, 5:43am
J.C. Beemer (washroom stop) at 11:44pm, 2:44am, 5:44am
Cannon St. E. & Mary St. at 11:52pm, 2:50am, 5:50am
Park St. No. & Cannon St. W. at 11:53pm, 2:54am, 5:54am
20 Hunter St. W. at 12am, 3am, 6am
King St. W. & Pearl St. S. at 12:07am, 3:07am, 6:07am
Main St. W. & Whitney Ave. at 12:20am, 3:20am, 6:20am
West Hamilton Loop at 12:25am, 3:25am, 6:25am

Bus Stop Hours are subject to change.

Call 905-923-5419 between the hours of 10pm and 6am.

Three City of Hamilton recreation centres have been designated to have extended hours until 11:30 pm, 7 days per week. On stat holidays and during inclement weather events, the hours will be 5:30 pm to 11:30 pm. The recreation centres will not offer additional supports or staff beyond what exists. The designated recreation centres' warming programs are closed for the season.

Additional operating hours at Hamilton Public Library, Central Library, 55 York Blvd, Hamilton. Central Library’s first floor will operate enhanced hours as a warming space, between 1 to 5 pm, on these statutory holidays:

Monday, December 25
Tuesday, December 26
Monday, January 1
Monday, February 19
Friday, March 29
Sunday, March 31
Monday, April 1

Central Library acts as a warming place during regular business hours during cold alerts. This location will provide extended hours as above as part of the enhanced winter response strategy.

Two parks have been identified in areas of the city with 24-hour access to washroom facilities:

J.C. Beemer Park, 82 Victoria Ave, N., Hamilton
Corktown Park, 175 Ferguson Ave. S. Hamilton

Daytime drop-in, overnight drop-in and overnight warming spaces within Hamilton will be made available.

To determine if there is available space at a specific location, please contact the number listed for that service.

Living Rock Ministries

50 daytime drop-in spaces for youth up to age 25*, all genders
* Up to age 29 on Public Health issued Cold Alert Days
30 Wilson St., Hamilton
Call 905-528-7625

Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm | Saturday & Sunday, 1 pm to 8 pm

Christ’s Church Cathedral

50 daytime drop-in spaces, all genders
252 James St. N., Hamilton
Operated by St. Matthew’s
Call 905-523-5546 ext 232

9am to 4pm, 6 days a week

Good Shepherd Cathedral

50 overnight warming spaces serving all men, Two Spirit, transgender and non-binary people
378 Main Street East, Hamilton
Call 905-528-5877 ext 4245

8 pm to 8 am / 7 days a week

Note: Space this week (January 22) will be capped at 30.

Note: These warming spaces will ramp up on January 22, 2024.

Willow’s Place

45 overnight warming spaces, all women, Two Spirit, trans- and non-binary people
196 Wentworth St. N., Hamilton
Call 905-528-5100 press 8; then 3

24 hours a day / 7 days a week

YWCA Carole Anne’s Place

40 overnight drop-in spaces, all women, Two Spirit, trans- and non-binary people
75 MacNab St. S.,
Call 905-522-9922 ext 100

6 pm to 1 pm, nightly (enhanced from 10 pm to 1 pm)

Mission Services Men’s Shelter

35 emergency shelter beds, all men, Two Spirit, transgender and non-binary people
400 King Street E., Hamilton
Call 905-528-7635

24 hours a day / 7 days a week

Salvation Army Booth Centre

10 emergency shelter beds, all men, Two Spirit, transgender and non-binary people
94 York Blvd, Hamilton
Call 905-527-1444

24 hours a day / 7 days a week

Thank you to our community partners

NOTE: These services are specific to additional supports in place December 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024 and hours are subject to change. For information on ongoing, regular services and supports, please visit Preventing & Ending Homelessness

Date modified

April 05, 2024