Although winter is technically over, cold overnight temperatures have left some of Waterloo Region’s most vulnerable population scrambling for someplace safe to stay. The Region of Waterloo closed a warming centre in Cambridge and another one in Kitchener at the end of March. The centres were designed to accommodate the influx of people looking for warmth during the coldest months. Each location had room for approximately 30 people. Operators said they were either completely full or well over capacity during the five months they were open. “We would see between 45 and 55 men every night,” Cameron Dearlove, executive director with Porchlight, said. Porchlight operated the Cambridge warming centre. “Some nights we got up to 58 [people]. That was our highest. So nearly double capacity.” A similar situation played out at the Kitchener site, the newly renovated St. John’s Soup Kitchen. “The overflow warming centres were already overflowing and we knew that there was at least 100 people who needed help,” Joe Mancini, executive director at The Working Centre, explained. The Working Centre operates St. John’s Soup Kitchen. Without government funding for the impromptu warming centre, Mancini said they relied on community donations and volunteers. “An overnight warming centre does have to be staffed, we were able to do that by having a call out to the community, it was all funded through donations,” Mancini said “We had volunteers onsite every day, every night, community donations made it possible, to ensure that 100 to 130 people every day were getting shelter.” Both Mancini and Dearlove said they need more space and would like to remain open for longer. The Region of Waterloo said in a statement. “The Region will work with partners in the coming months to assess needs and determine winter warming response plans, including overnight supports, for next year’s winter season. Regional Council approved an additional 20-bed women’s overnight warming space as part of the Region’s 2026 Budget in December 2025.”
