Cobourg council is not trying to prevent sleeping in the county’s warming room, but requires wellness checks to ensure safety, the public was told at an emergency meeting Friday.
The warming room, located in a boardroom within the Northumberland County building at 555 Courthouse Road, became the focus of a public debate over whether users could sleep in the facility.
CAO Tracey Vaughan informed Cobourg politicians that the warming room is not designed for continuous sleep due to safety regulations. Vaughan and Mayor Lucas Cleveland said the meeting was called to address misinformation about the town’s policies and position on the issue.
A motion was passed reaffirming support for the county’s operation in providing necessary services.
Cobourg emergency meeting:
The debate was sparked by a presentation by activist Chance Brown to Northumberland County council’s Social Services Committee on Dec. 2. He raised the issue of sleep deprivation, calling on the committee to stop the practice of keeping users awake.
Chance Brown’s presentation:
Brighton Councillor Jeff Wheeldon attended the same meeting and heard Brown’s pleas. He wrote a letter to the committee arguing sleep deprivation was a violation of human rights. He also said he knew of no other warming room that did not allow users to sleep. The letter was also sent to all county council members.
Wheeldon appeared before Brown to talk about Brighton’s Homelessness Task Force. It also ignited a debate over approaches to handling unsheltered people in the county. Both Port Hope Mayor Olena Hankivsky and Cobourg Mayor Lucas Cleveland questioned and commented on his remarks.
Wheeldon’s presentation and subsequent exchange with politicians:
The presentation was accepted for information purposes.
Wheeldon’s presentation led to a public debate with 13 people sending letters to Cobourg council regarding the warming room situation.
Northumberland County responded to the public debate in a press release on December 12, hours before the Cobourg emergency meeting.
The warming room opened Nov. 27. It has served over 50 people to date, with an average of 15 people per night. It is open from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. every night until March 31, 2026.
In Their Words is a feature that allows people to listen to what is going on at the various councils within Northumberland. No spin. No opinions. No one is telling you what to think. Just what was said.
It is a chance you might not have otherwise to hear directly from your elected representatives. I hope you find it useful and informative.
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