Sorting facts from fiction on centres for asylum seekers
Security, consultation and construction worry potential neighbours
UPDATE: The city had originally planned to build the first centre on a football field near the Nepean Sportsplex. Staff now say they are looking at other land at the same site so that residents can keep using the field.
Facilities built to support and shelter migrants arriving in Ottawa continue to cause controversy, with councillors and residents sparring over whether the welcome and reception centres are appropriate.
Rumours about the tent-like structures and the people who'll live there began circulating well before any definitive information was available.
Now, staff are attempting to correct misinformation and get residents onside.
Here's what we know — and don't know — about the multi-million-dollar plan.
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Will newcomers sleep in tents?
At protests over the past few months in Barrhaven, Kanata and Nepean, signs emblazoned with the slogan "No Tents" were in abundance. Plans for the centre bear little resemblance to the tent encampments springing up in major cities, however.
Kale Brown, acting director of housing and homelessness for the city, said these 30,000-square-foot facilities will be solidly built with running water and plumbing — and a lot more room than what's currently provided for migrants at cramped community centres.
"These new facilities are going to be built as transitional housing, so each person would have their own pod, their own space to be able to kind of keep your belongings separated from others, and a little bit of privacy," he told CBC.
"What we're looking to bring with these ... is that dignity and welcome that we — any of us — would expect as Canadians."
Brown said people who contact 311 from the airport would be immediately directed to the centres, where they'll be provided with help filling out applications and looking for a job or permanent home. They'll also have access to trauma support.
"Anyone who tells you that ... people are going to be sleeping in tents, that is wrong," Louisa Taylor, director of Refugee 613, told CBC.
"People tell you that they are going to be abandoned with no services — it's the exact opposite. It is the first time in Ottawa that people will have a landing pad."
City staff have said migrants will stay at the centre for no longer than 90 days. If they still require assistance, they'll be moved to a transitional housing facility.
Why not just build homes?
City staff have said they chose this method of construction because it's the best way to deal with an issue that's overwhelmed city services. But it was not their first choice.
Brown said staff have spent the last five years searching for suitable vacant office space, but they couldn't find anything that would work as well.
"We had to go to this option," he said. "This is the quickest, fastest way to do something."
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An extensive memo released last week outlined how consultants and staff assessed vacant lots for space, access to transit and ability to leverage existing infrastructure.
Both modular housing and mass timber — an efficient method of construction using large beams of compressed wood — were eliminated as options because of cost and lengthier construction timelines.
However, Brown said mass timber structures could still be built to house homeless families currently staying in motels — possibly on one of the other sites evaluated by consultants.
Wasn't this going to be built in Barrhaven?
Early opposition to the structures, usually built by a company called Sprung Structures, was based in Barrhaven, which the city had identified as a potential location. (The trademark name Sprung Structures is frequently used to describe this type of building, whether that company builds them or not.)
Two sites in Barrhaven are among the city's final list of five potential locations.
But a location near the Nepean Sportsplex was eventually chosen for the city's first welcome centre, with another set to land across from the Eagleson park-and-ride in Kanata South if necessary, and if enough funding can be secured.
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How much will Ottawa pay for this?
Coun. Stéphanie Plante, whose Rideau Vanier ward is home to many of the city's existing shelters, as well as an emergency centre that's taken over the Bernard Grandmaître Arena, said this is a federal responsibility.
"The federal government will be the one paying for it," she said. "So there's no strain on our city budget."
The city has been in talks with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for over a year about how to fund both the construction and the operation of these facilities.
The city has made a three-year, $106-million ask, but Brown said Ottawa now needs to "validate" those figures based on the cost to service the new centres. Preliminary site work is set to cost $3.5 million in Nepean and $1.9 million in Kanata South.
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IRCC told CBC in a statement that it's "actively working" with the city on a funding plan through the Interim Housing Assistance Program, and will provide news "as soon as that information is available to share."
Funding requires buy-in from both the city and the province. Premier Doug Ford announced $40 million for emergency shelter support through the "new deal for Ottawa."
If the funding falls through, Brown said the city would need to reconsider its "ability or willingness" to follow through on the project.
Will this become permanent?
Right now, the city is only looking at funding for a three-year period. Staff won't confirm whether the welcome centres will be shut down by then, because they can't forecast how many refugees and asylum seekers will enter the country.
Brown said the city is simultaneously working on brick-and-mortar solutions including a converted retirement home, an old office tower, a closed convent and the Taggart Family YMCA, along with 20 individual homes that haven't yet been purchased.
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Once the structures — which would have a 25-year warranty if made by the Sprung company — are no longer needed, Brown said they can be used for such things as a library or pickleball court.
Why aren't city councillors debating the locations?
Last November, Ottawa city councillors told staff to pursue these structures. A motion by Barrhaven councillors David Hill and Wilson Lo to rescind that authority failed in July.
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said earlier this month that this must be a "staff decision," because it cannot be politically influenced.
While there will not be a chance for communities to weigh in on where these centres are built, the city told CBC it will work with local councillors on public consultations.
In early 2025, the city will go through the usual process to pass a zoning amendment that will include opportunities to submit a written statement or appear before a committee.
What about community safety?
Brown told CBC he has no concerns for the safety of residents who live near the proposed sites. He said there will be 24-hour security at the welcome centres, and people staying there will be focused on establishing their new lives in Canada.
Of the 330 single adults currently staying at community centres, Brown said close to half are working.
Plante agreed: "They're cleaning houses or they're babysitting or they work in daycares or they're doing construction," she said. "Just like you and me ... [they leave during] the day and come back at 5:00 p.m."
Since refugees and asylum seekers took over the emergency shelter at the Bernard Grandmaître Arena, the difference there has been "night and day," she said.
There have been few complaints from neighbours, Brown added.
"Police have also confirmed they have not noticed any increase in crime when any of these facilities come to the area," he said.
The Ottawa Police Service would not independently verify that information.
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Why won't Canadians have access to this?
These centres will be specifically financed through funding for refugee and asylum seekers, with services catered to their needs.
But Brown said releasing some of the pressure on the larger shelter system should improve conditions for everyone who finds themselves without a home.
"We're trying to bring dignity to the entire shelter sector," he said.
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With files from Campbell McDiarmid