Salvation Army amends proposal as council votes on repeal Wednesday

Salvation Army plans fewer shelter beds Under intense pressure from Vanier residents, Ottawa's Salvation Army proposes fewer beds in its Montreal Road shelter.

The Salvation Army has made changes to their proposal for a new facility on Montreal Road in Vanier.

The announcement comes just one day following a meeting with stakeholders.

The charity will make changes in three areas: the emergency shelter, supportive housing and the addictions program.

Among the amendments, the number of emergency shelter beds will be cut from 140 to somewhere between 70 and 100 beds.

It was also plan to add in supportive housing, as well as keep the addiction treatment program at it's location on George Street in the Byward Market.

"We want to successfully house people," said Glen van Gulik, spokesperson for The Salvation Army.

"12-thousand people in the City of Ottawa don't have a place to call home and they need to be supported."

The charity says it also is reaffirming it's commitment to 60 special care medical beds as supported by Ottawa Inner City Health.

Drew Dobson is the president of SOS Vanier, a group who opposes the project. Dobson attended Monday's meeting to voice the concerns of residents in Vanier.

"I was deeply disappointed, it was almost like the meeting hadn't happened," said Dobson.

"They have to put the shelter in a proper place where it's zoned for shelter, I don't think until they do that, we will find a middle ground."

The Salvation Army has accepted a conditional offer for the property located at 333 Montreal Road, also kn own as the old Concorde Motel.

The offer is conditional on successful zoning which was approved by City Council back in 2017.

The tweaked project plan will still have to pass a major hurdle. Councillor for Rideau-Vanier Mathieu Fleury will table a motion to repeal the zoning for the property at council Wednesday.