With no live sports or concerts being held at FirstOntario Centre, the Hamilton arena has found a new purpose during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an effort to ease the demands on homeless shelters in the Hamilton region, the home of the Hamilton Bulldogs opened its doors on Saturday night to help people looking for a place to sleep and receive medical help. According to Bobby Hristova of CBC News, the arena has been set up with a medical room, isolation rooms, a place to have dinner and beds.
“The big thing is about being prepared for the needs of this particularly vulnerable population,” Hamilton’s program manager of social housing Brian Kreps told Hristova.
“What we’re trying to be prepared for is, once we’re really up and functioning, folks will be residing here.”
FirstOntario Centre will remain open 24/7 with 50 cots set up while another 25 can be accommodated. Staff from The Good Sheperd Centre will help manage the shelter and security guards from the venue will also be on site.
Hristova adds that any person who shows signs or symptoms of the coronavirus will stay in a locker room until they can be sent to a hospital for further evaluation.
