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Simcoe County-run warming centres wind down after long winter

June 11, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

With the onset of warmer weather, the County of Simcoe is thanking residents, community partners, and area businesses for their support throughout the winter season, helping ensure that no one who needed a warm place to sleep was left in the cold.

Winter warming centre services are now closed for the season. The county will soon commence planning and preparations for winter 2026-27.

“Over the winter, the county opened eight warming centres across Simcoe County – including 24/7 sites in the cities of Barrie and Orillia,” explained Simcoe County Warden Basil Clarke. “Through Orillia’s warming centre alone, staff were able to help eleven individuals transition into permanent housing, while connecting many others to emergency shelters, housing resources, and healthcare services. These successful outcomes are exactly why we go above and beyond for our community: to build up homes, lives, and hope.”

The county recognized those who stepped up during what was the snowiest season in recent memory.

Over the winter, the county and its partners opened eight warming centres across the region, including centres in Barrie, Bradford, Midland, Orillia, and Wasaga Beach.

Centres provided 7,494 overnight stays, ensuring 846 individuals had a warm and dry place to sleep.

The centres offered 353 individuals opportunities to warm up on 885 occasions during the coldest days.

To maximize access to warm indoor locations, all six County of Simcoe Social and Community Services were open during business hours for individuals to come in from the cold.

These sites will continue to offer refuge from the heat and inclement weather throughout the summer months.

The centres offered access to meals and food services, as well as free laundry facilities and donated clothing. They also connected unhoused individuals to long-term support, including food banks, shelters, Ontario Works services, health-related support and connections, supportive housing, HART Hub services, and bridge housing. 

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