Community Hot Weather Response

The Guelph & Wellington Task Force for Poverty Elimination is working with community partners again this year to develop a Community Hot Weather Response Plan for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness. This plan outlines a protocol for the 2023 hot weather season to support individuals experiencing homelessness to access and get to emergency shelters and cool-down locations in periods of hot weather. This plan is partnership of: The Guelph & Wellington Task Force for Poverty Elimination, Stepping Stone, Wyndham House, Royal City Mission, The County of Wellington, The City of Guelph, Guelph Public Libraries, Hope House, Chalmers Community Service Centre, The Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington, Guelph Police Service, and Wellington County OPP.

Please note: This year the Poverty Task Force worked with partners to develop the first Wellington County specific response and infographic. The Wellington County Community Hot Weather Response Plan is found below following the Guelph Response information.

Guelph Hot Weather Response Plan

The Guelph Community Hot Weather Response Plan for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness is not triggered by a specific temperature. Partners and community members are encouraged to use their judgement about the temperature and weather conditions, as well as the safety and wellbeing of individuals.

If you are experiencing homelessness and would like to access shelter:

If you are an adult (25 years+) or a family please call: 226-821-3345
If you are a youth (16-24 years), please call: 519-837-3892

If you see someone unsheltered outdoors in need of assistance (not an emergency), call:

HERE 24/7, 1-844-437-3247
Guelph Police Service non-emergency line, 519-824-1212
If it is an emergency situation: Call 911

Cool-down Location Hours:

23 Gordon Emergency Shelter (23 Gordon St.) – Overnight, 8:00pm-8:00am (7 days a week)
Youth Emergency Shelter (18 Norwich St. E) – 24 hours (7 days a week)
Youth Hub (133 Woolwich St.) – 9:00am-4:00pm (Mon-Fri, Closed Sat-Sun)
Royal City Mission (50 Quebec St.) – 8:00am-7:30pm (Mon-Sat, closed Sun)
Hope House (10 Cork St. E) – 9:00am-4:00pm (Mon-Wed), 9:00am-6:00pm (Thurs, closed Fri-Sun)
Chalmers Downtown (41 Macdonnell St.) – 10:00am-12:00pm (Mon-Tues & Fri), 7:00pm-8:00pm (Thurs), (Closed Sat-Sun)
Chalmers West (577 Willow Rd.) – 7:00pm-8:00pm Thursdays
Guelph City Hall Cooling Centre (1 Carden St.) – 8:30am-4:00pm (Mon-Fri, closed Sat).
- Please note: City hall will also be open on Sundays from 10:00am-4:00pm when Heat Warnings* are issued by Environment Canada.
Guelph Public Library, West End Branch (21 Imperial Rd., S.) – 9:00am-8:00pm (Mon-Thurs), 9:00am-9:00pm (Fri), 9:00am-5:00pm (Sat), 1:00pm-5:00pm (Sun)
All other Guelph Public Library locations (100 Norfolk St., 380 Eramosa Rd., 1 Starwood Dr., 650 Scottsdale Dr., 100-31 Farley Dr.) – 9:00am-8:00pm (Mon-Thurs), 9:00am-5:00pm (Fri & Sat, closed Sun)

The following locations will be closed at the below times due to holiday hours (all other locations will remain open at the above times regardless of holidays):

Hope House: Closed July 3, Aug 7, Sept 4
Royal City Mission: Closed July 1, Aug 7
Guelph City Hall: Closed July 3, Aug 7, Sept 4
The Guelph Public Libraries: Closed July 1, Aug 7, Sept 4

*Environment Canada Criteria for Heat Warnings: Issued when 2 or more consecutive days of daytime maximum temperatures are expected to reach 31°C or warmer and nighttime minimum temperatures are expected to fall to 20°C or warmer. They are also issued when 2 or more consecutive days of humidex values are expected to reach 40 or higher.

No Cost Meal Programs:

Royal City Mission provides lunch at 1pm & dinner at 6:30pm from Monday-Saturday, and in partnership with Hope House, provides breakfast from 10am-11am Monday-Saturday
Chalmers Downtown provides a coffee hour from 10am-12pm on Mondays and Tuesdays
Your Downtown Guelph Friends provides lunch in front of 176 Wyndham Street North from 1:45pm-3pm on Fridays & Sundays. There is also an art program with refreshments from 3:30pm-5:30pm on Wednesdays in St. George’s Square from July 5 – Sept 6

Please share this infographic widely. It will print as an 8.5 x 11 sheet: Hot Weather Response Infographic.

Wellington County Hot Weather Response Plan

The Wellington County Community Hot Weather Response Plan for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness is not triggered by a specific temperature. Partners and community members are encouraged to use their judgement about the temperature and weather conditions, as well as the safety and wellbeing of individuals.

If you are experiencing homelessness and would like to access shelter:

If you are an adult (25 years+) or a family, please call: 226-821-3345
If you are a youth (16-24 years), please call: 519-837-3892

If you see someone unsheltered outdoors in need of assistance (not an emergency), call:

HERE 24/7: 1-844-437-3247
Wellington County OPP non-emergency line: 1-888-310-1122
If it is an emergency situation: Call 911

Cool-down Location Hours:

Aboyne Library (552 Wellington Rd. 18) – 10:00AM – 8:00PM (Mon-Thurs), 10:00AM – 5:00PM (Fri-Sat), 1:00PM-5:00PM (Sunday)
Arthur Library (110 Charles St. E) – 10:00AM-5:00PM Monday, 10:00AM-8:00PM (Tues-Thurs), 10:00AM-5:00PM (Fri-Sat), Closed Sunday
Drayton Library (106 Wellington St. S) – 10:00AM-5:00PM (Mon), 10:00AM-6:00PM (Tues-Thurs), 10:00am-5:00PM (Fri), 10:00AM-3:00PM (Sat), Closed Sunday
Clifford Library (7 Brown St. N) – Closed Monday, 10:00AM-8:00PM (Tues), 2:00PM-8:00PM (Wed-Thurs), 10:00AM-5:00PM (Fri), 10:00AM-3:00PM (Sat), Closed Sunday
Puslinch Library (29 Brock Rd. S) – Closed Monday, 10:00AM-8:00PM (Tues-Thurs), 10:00AM-5:00PM (Fri), 10:00AM-3:00PM (Sat), Closed Sunday
Elora Library (144 Geddes St.) – 10:00AM-5:00PM (Mon), 10:00AM-8:00PM (Tues), 10:00AM-5:00PM (Wed), 10:00AM-8:00PM (Thurs), 10:00AM-5:00PM (Fri), 10:00AM-3:00PM (Sat), Closed Sunday
Erin Library (14 Boland Dr.) – 10:00AM-8:00PM (Mon-Thurs), 10:00AM-5:00PM (Fri), 10:00AM-3:00PM (Sat), Closed Sunday
Fergus Library (190 St. Andrew St. W) – 10:00AM-8:00PM (Mon-Thurs), 10:00AM-5:00PM (Fri-Sat), 1:00PM-5:00PM (Sun)
Harriston Library (88 Mill St.) – 10:00AM-8:00PM (Mon-Tues), 1:00PM-8:00PM (Wed), 10:00AM-8:00PM (Thurs), 10:00AM-5:00PM (Fri), 10:00AM-3:00PM (Sat), Closed Sunday
Hillsburgh Library (9 Station St.) – 1:00PM-5:00PM (Mon), 10:00AM-8:00PM (Tues-Thurs), 10:00AM-5:00PM (Fri), 10:00AM-3:00PM (Sat), Closed Sunday
Marden Library (7368 Wellington Rd. 30 RR#5) – 10:00AM-5:00PM (Mon), 1:00PM-8:00PM (Tues), 10:00AM-8:00PM (Wed), 1:00PM-8:00PM (Thurs), 10:00AM-5:00PM (Fri), 10:00AM-3:00PM (Sat), Closed Sunday
Mount Forest Library (118 Main St. N) – 10:00AM-5:00PM (Mon), 10:00AM-8:00PM (Tues), 10:00AM-5:00PM (Wed), 10:00AM-8:00PM (Thurs), 10:00AM-5:00PM (Fri), 10:00AM-3:00PM (Sat), Closed Sunday
Palmerston Library (265 Bell St.) – 10:00AM-5:00PM (Mon), 10:00AM-8:00PM (Tues-Thurs), 10:00AM-5:00PM (Fri), 10:00AM-3:00PM (Sat), Closed Sunday
Rockwood Library (121 Rockmosa Dr.) – 10:00AM-8:00PM (Mon-Thurs), 10:00AM-5:00PM (Fri-Sat), Closed Sunday

Please share this infographic widely. It will print as an 8.5 x 11 sheet: Hot Weather Response Infographic.