2026 Community Hot Weather Response for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness
The Guelph & Wellington Poverty Elimination Collaborative 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 2026 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 Poverty Elimination Collaborative, 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.
The Guelph and 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. To learn ways to stay safe during period of extreme heat read the Beat the Heat fact sheet below.
Please share this infographic widely. It will print as an 8.5 x 11 sheet: Guelph Hot Weather Response Infographic.
Please share this infographic widely. It will print as an 8.5 x 11 sheet: County Hot Weather Response Infographic.
If you are experiencing homelessness and would like to access shelter:
If you are an adult (25 years+), please call: 226-821-3345
If you are a family, please call: 519-265-1323
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
For downtown support, call Welcoming Streets at: 519-838-6763
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)
23 Gordon Daytime Space (23 Gordon St.) – 8:00am-2:00pm (Mon-Fri), 8:00am-8:00pm (Sat), Closed Sunday
Youth Emergency Shelter (18 Norwich St. E) – 24 hours (7 days a week)
Youth Hub (133 Woolwich St.) – 9:00am-4:30pm (Mon-Fri, Closed Sat-Sun)
Grove Hub (130 Woodland Glen Dr) – 9:00am-4:30pm (Mon-Fri), Closed Saturday and Sunday
Grove Hub (737 Woolwich St.) – 11:00am-7:00pm (Mon-Fri), Closed Sat-Sun
Royal City Mission (50 Quebec St.) – 1:00pm-7:00pm (Mon, Wed, Fri), 10:00am-2:00pm (Sun), Closed Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday
Hope House (10 Cork St. E) – 9:00am-4:00pm (Mon-Wed), 9:00am-6:00pm (Thurs), closed Friday to Sunday
Salvation Army ( 210 Victoria Rd. S.) – Closed Monday, 10:00am – 12:00pm and 1:00pm -3:45 pm (Tuesday – Friday), Closed Saturday and Sunday
Chalmers Downtown (41 Macdonnell St.) – 9:00am-12:00pm (Mon -Tues), 6:30pm-8:30pm (Wed), Closed Thursday to Sunday
Chalmers West (577 Willow Rd.) – 9:30am-11:30am Thursdays
Guelph City Hall Cooling Centre (1 Carden St.) – 8:30am-4:00pm (Mon-Fri, closed Sat-Sun).
Please note: For more information on City cooling locations and hours , please visit the City of Guelph at https://guelph.ca/living/recreation/rec-facilities/city-cooling-centres/.
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. E, 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 Sunday
No Cost Meal Programs:
Royal City Mission runs Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday and provides lunch at 1 pm and dinner at 6pm (no dinner on Sunday).
Side By Side (176 Wyndham St. N.) serves a meal from 2-3:30pm on Sunday.
23 Gordon Daytime Space (23 Gordon St.) runs a light breakfast at 8:30 am Monday to Saturday, a hot lunch at 11:00 am Monday to Friday and at 12 pm on Sunday, a light lunch at 1:00 pm on Tuesday and Thursday, and a light dinner at 5 pm on Saturday.
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, Youth Hub & Grove Hubs, Chalmers (all locations), Guelph City Hall & Guelph Public Libraries: Closed July 1st, August 3rd, and September 7th.
If you are experiencing homelessness and would like to access shelter:
If you are an adult (25 years+), please call: 226-821-3345
If you are a family, please call: 519-265-1323
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
For downtown support, call Welcoming Streets at: 519-838-6763
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-5:00pm (Mon), 10:00am-8:00pm (Tues-Thurs), 10:00am-5:00pm (Fri), 10:00am-3:00pm (Sat), Closed Sunday
East Wellington Community Services Rockwood (143 Dennis Street, Unit A) – 8:00am-4:00pm (Mon-Thurs), 8:00am-12:00pm (Fri), Closed Saturday and Sunday
East Wellington Community Services Erin (45 Main St.) – 9:00am-4:00pm (Mon-Thurs), 9:00am-12:30pm (Fri), Closed Saturday and 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.) – 10:00am-5:00pm (Mon), 10:00am-8:00pm (Tues-Thurs), 10:00am-5:00pm (Fri), 10:00am-3:00pm (Sat), 1:00PM-5:00pm (Sun)
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
Grove Hub Erin Place (10 Thompson Crescent) – 2:00pm-6:00pm (Mon-Fri, Closed Sat-Sun)
Grove Hub Fergus (900 Tower St. S) – 11:00am-6:00pm (Mon-Fri, Closed Sat-Sun)
Grove Palmerston (390 Main St. E.) – 11:00am-6:00pm (Mon-Fri, Closed Sat-Sun)
Staying Safe in Hot Weather
Extreme heat can be dangerous, especially if you are exposed for a long period of time. In partnership with Wellington Dufferin Guelph Public Health we’ve created a document to provide information on how to stay safe in hot weather.
