Hamilton public health is set to conduct a “scientific review” of it’s cold weather alerts following a December winter storm that exposed gaps in service for those facing homelessness.
Staff revealed the probe during a board of health meeting on Monday, saying it will include an “environmental scan” of current thresholds and response protocols used in Toronto, Ottawa, and other public health units in Ontario.
Additionally, staff will have a dialogue with the city’s housing division and engage in consultation with community service providers and stakeholders with respect to their concerns over the way current alerts are implemeted.
“The current thresholds that identify the triggers of -15 C (and) -20 C windchill were arrived at in consultation with community stakeholders, partners, as well as looking at the current scientific literature in terms of frostbite and hypothermia in terms of the general population,” Kevin McDonald, the city’s director of Healthy Environments Division, explained to councillors.
“It also took into consideration looking at jurisdictions across Ontario, which will be replicated this time around for the recommendation report that slated for April.”
McDonald went on to explain that other Ontario communities have their own approaches to cold weather service protocols, including Niagara Region’s “Out of the Cold program” which is triggered by a network of community providers instead of public health.
The city’s medical officer of health told councilors the cold weather alert program has always been “two-fold,” heightening awareness of extreme conditions and a trigger for the expansion of shelter space.
“It was meant to do an increased outreach to people who were living on the street to say ‘those options are here,'” Dr. Elizabeth Richardson said.
A report recommending improved access to drop-in warming centres for the balance of this winter will go before the emergency and community services committee on Thursday.
Hamilton’s director housing services told Global News connections between cold alerts and the city’s services coming into play would be a subject of a review in early 2023 after an “interim solution” had to implemented around Christmas.
Warming centres closed Dec. 24, 2022, when conditions no longer met the systematic threshold of a cold weather alert, leaving just a couple of drop-ins available for those who needed help amid white-out conditions.
Also at issue is a lack of staffing and general funding pieces exposed during the late December storm.
The city kicked in $125,000 in December to address the gaps discovered in overnight drop-in services for the houseless population.
Public Health Services will bring forward a recommendation report detailing specific options and recommendations related to the cold alert thresholds April 3.
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