Community Cold Weather Response

The Guelph & Wellington Task Force for Poverty Elimination is working with The County of Wellington, The City of Guelph, Stepping Stone, Wyndham House, Royal City Mission, Guelph Public Libraries, Hope House, Chalmers, The Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington, Guelph Police Service and Wellington County OPP again this year to develop Community Cold Weather Response Plans for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness in Guelph and Wellington County. These plans outline a protocol for the 2024 – 2025 cold weather season to support individuals experiencing homelessness to access and get to emergency shelters and warm-up locations in periods of cold weather.

Please note: The Wellington County Community Cold Weather Response Plan can be found below.

Guelph Cold Weather Response Plan

The Guelph Community Cold 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+), please call: 519-822-1100
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
Guelph Police Service non-emergency line: 519-824-1212
Welcoming Streets, for downtown support: 519-838-6763
If it is an emergency situation: Call 911

Warm-up Location Hours:

23 Gordon Emergency Shelter (23 Gordon Street, Guelph) – Overnight, 8:00pm-8:00am (7 days a week – intake done upon arrival)
Youth Emergency Shelter (18 Norwich Street East, Guelph) – 24/7 (7 days a week)
Youth Hub (133 Woolwich Street) – 9:00am-5:00pm (Mon-Fri, closed Sat & Sun)
Royal City Mission (50 Quebec St.) – 12:00pm-7:00pm (7 days a week)
Hope House (10 Cork Street East) – 9:00am-4:00pm (Mon-Wed), 9:00am-6:00pm (Thurs), (closed Fri-Sun)
Chalmers Downtown (41 Macdonnell Street) – 9:30am-12:00pm (Mon), 10:00am-12:00pm (Tues), 6:30pm-8:00pm (Wed), (closed Thurs), 10:00am-12:00pm (Friday), (closed Sat-Sun)
- Chalmers West (577 Willow Rd) – 9 AM – 11 AM (Thurs)
Guelph City Hall (1 Carden St.) – 8:00am-4:30pm (Mon-Fri, closed Sat & Sun)
- Please note: Guelph City Hall will be open on Sundays from 10am-4:00pm when extreme cold warnings are issued by Environment Canada. These warnings are issues when the temperature or wind chill is expected to reach -30°C for at least 2 hours.
Guelph Main Branch Library (100 Norfolk St.) – 9:00am-9:00pm (Mon-Thurs), 9:00am-5:00pm (Fri & Sat), 1:00pm-5:00pm (Sun)
Guelph Public Library West End Branch (21 Imperial Road South) – 9:00am-8:00pm (Mon-Thurs), 9:00am-9:00pm (Fri), 9:00am-5:00pm (Sat), 1:00pm-5:00pm (Sun)
All other library locations (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), 1:00pm – 5:00pm (Sun)
Grove Hub at University of Guelph (50 College Ave W.) – 2:00am-7:00pm (Mon-Fri), (closed Sat-Sun)
Grove Hub Woolwich (737 Woolwich St.) – 2:00pm-7:00pm (Mon-Fri), (closed Sat-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):

Guelph City Hall will be closed on closed on Feb 17th, Apr 21.
Guelph Public Library (all locations) will be closed on Feb 17th.

No Cost Meal Programs:

Royal City Mission runs Monday to Sunday and provides lunch at 1 pm and dinner at 6pm.
Your Downtown Guelph Friends provides lunch in front of 176 Wyndham Street North from 2 pm-3:30 pm on Sundays.

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

Wellington County Cold Weather Response Plan

The Wellington County Community Cold 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+), please call: 519-822-1100
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
Wellington County OPP non-emergency line: 1-888-310-1122
If it is an emergency situation: Call 911

Warm-up 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), 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
Drayton Library (106 Wellington St. S) – 10:00AM – 5:00PM (Mon), 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-5:00PM (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), 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.) – 10AM – 5PM (Mon), 10:00AM-8:00PM (Tues-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
Rockwood Library (121 Rockmosa Dr.) – 10:00AM-8:00PM (Mon-Thurs), 10:00AM-5:00PM (Fri-Sat), Closed Sunday
Grove Hub Erin (10 Thompson Cres.) – 2:00PM-6:00PM (Mon-Fri), (closed Sat-Sun)
Grove Hub Fergus (900 Tower St. S.) – 11:00 AM – 6:00PM (Mon-Fi), (closed Sat-Sun)
Grove Hub Palmerston (390 Main St. E.) – 11:00AM-6:00PM (Mon-Fri), (closed Sat-Sun)

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