As some of this winter’s coldest nights have taken place in West Northumberland over the past week, the only refuge for homeless people is the Cobourg Police Station’s warming centre, according to a public health nurse for the region. Kristina Nairn, the social determinants of health nurse for the Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit in Port Hope, said the closure of the Transition House in Cobourg had left a hole in the local system to help homeless people during the extreme cold, especially at night. Some warming centres are open during the daytime across the region, giving homeless people a place where they can go to find shelter from the frigid temperatures. West Northumberland was under an extreme cold alert on Jan. 4 with temperatures plunging to -35 degrees. Continue Reading →
