The extreme frigid weather over the last few weeks has encouraged thousands of visits by vulnerable people to the six warming centres in Montreal’s downtown core. According to data from Ambulance Saint-Jean, the YMCA warming centre has welcomed an average of 125 people per day since December, and the Hôtel-Dieu warming centre has had an average of 35 visitors per day over the last 27 days. One visitor, Mohammad, 69, tells Noovo Info that he frequents the various centres every day to warm up, take a shower and eat. He explains that he arrived in Canada in 2004 after his home in Afghanistan was bombed. He says he lost his entire family in the attack and was wounded in the back and leg. Due to his limited mobility, he says he is not allowed to stay in the shelters and has to constantly be on the move. “‘It’s not normal,” he said. Hard work Volunteers add that they have been extremely busy during the holiday season, providing care to those in need. Tom Cortado, head of the Saguenay division of Ambulance Saint-Jean in Quebec, says he counted 35 consecutive nights of work. “Helping people is a truly wonderful thing to do, and I really love what we do here,” he told Noovo Info. Monday, Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada congratulated the volunteers for their hard work. “It’s a lot of night work during the holiday season, so I want to thank them,” she said. “We did what had to be done. We opened more warming centres. We can see it on the ground, and what we’re hearing is that it has taken some of the pressure off the existing services.” Martinez Ferrada insists she wants to double efforts, including better publicizing the presence of the warming centres and adding more if necessary. “I’ve always said I want beds, I don’t want chairs,” said the mayor. Mohammad, for his part, says he hopes for more than just a place to stay warm. “I need help. I’m 69 years old. I have no family here,” he told Noovo Info.
