Fire concerns prompt City of Kingston to bar access to Memorial Centre barns

The City of Kingston, Ont., has taken a measure to reduce safety risks at the Memorial Centre barns after a small fire broke out over the weekend.

City officials have posted a trespass notice on Memorial Centre grounds. The notice goes into effect immediately.

“This location has rapidly become a dangerous situation for multiple health and safety reasons,” CAO Lanie Hurdle said. “Emergency services are consistently responding to concerns from electrical tampering to space-heater fires.”

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The city adds that concerns surrounding rapidly rising COVID-19 cases in the city also went into the decision making.

Monday, unhoused individuals were seen setting up camps near the barns where the fire took place over the weekend. The city says it is working to free up shelter space elsewhere in the city, but the recent spike in cases has made that a difficult task.

1:10 COVID-19: Outbreak declared at Kingston’s Integrated Care Hub, 11 cases associated

“Our shelter capacities have been cut by half in order to provide isolation space for those who have tested positive and are in a vulnerable situation,” Director of Housing and Social Services, Ruth Noordegraaf said. “But we’re optimistic about some new initiatives like the warming centre and multiple affordable housing projects that will be online soon.”