On December 13, a new temporary shelter center opened on the Îles-de-la-Madeleine to meet the homeless needs in the region.
The hut was made possible thanks, among other things, to the Ministry of Health, which financed the project, and the CIUSS de l'Estrie, which assisted in its implementation.
The “heat stop” at the tolerance limit allows people with addiction problems or pet owners to be accommodated, while most animal shelters refuse to accept people who meet these requirements.
The center is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week all year round and welcomes around ten people depending on the period.
“We couldn’t afford to build such a resource,” says Mario Pichette, street worker.
“Winter is very problematic,” says Sara Martinet, coordinator of the local service network of the CISSS des Îles.
“We don’t have a service corridor. We can't say to someone, “There's a rest stop 60 km away, we'll give you a bus ticket, you can go there,” but for us here it makes us very vulnerable,” as it can in other regions.