London Council Rejects Emergency Debate on Warming Centres Amid Deep Freeze
By Josiane N’tchoreret-MbiamanyJan. 22, 2025
Ward 6 Coun. Sam Trosow speaks to the council to pass a legacy motion to discuss warming centres. (Josiane N’tchoreret-Mbiamany/MMJC News)
A push to discuss the urgent need for warming centres in London was shut down at city hall Tuesday night after councillors voted against an emergency motion, leaving the city’s homeless population bracing for another night in extreme cold.
The motion introduced by Coun. Sam Trosow sought permission to bring forward a discussion on whether more emergency spaces should be open in response to freezing temperatures. The vote was tied 7-7, failing to meet the required two-thirds majority, effectively blocking the debate before it could even begin.
“We’ve got an emergency situation.” Trosow said after the meeting. “There have been increasing reports over the last week about the dire situation that people are facing in the streets. I thought, as a councillor, I would draw up the inquiry, hoping I would get a more fulsome response from the city manager. But that was shut down.”
Trosow had initially raised concerns through a formal inquiry about the availability and accessibility of warming spaces in the city. His motion aimed to accelerate the conversation, allowing council to consider immediate actions. However, Mayor Josh Morgan and other councillors opposed the process, arguing that emergency motions should not bypass the standard committee review.
“What we don’t do is make snap decisions without any sort of information at Council that would be binding on the corporation,” Morgan said.
The rejection comes as London grapples with a deep freeze. On Tuesday, temperatures dropped as low as -21°C, with wind chills making it feel even colder.
Advocate Stephen Shellen holds a sign protesting the lack of overnight warming centres at Tuesday’s city council meeting. (Josiane N’tchoreret-Mbiamany/MMJC News)
For those pushing for emergency shelter, the outcome of Tuesday’s meeting was more than a procedural matter—it was a failure to address an ongoing humanitarian crisis.
“There have been increasing reports over the last week about the dire situation that people are facing in the streets,” Trosow said. “Yet, instead of addressing it, council shut down the conversation before it could even begin.”
While shelters have been put in place by the city, advocates argue they are neither sufficient nor accessible for all.
“How can we let people in the city go through that?” said Katie Morgan, a local advocate. “Even conventional shelters don’t always work for people—couples just wanting to stay together, people with pets that are valuable for emotional support. They aren’t always properly addressed in shelter spaces.”
Despite these concerns, Mayor Josh Morgan defended the city’s response, emphasizing that while additional spaces are open during cold weather alerts, the city does not have direct control over shelter policies.
“I don’t have any authority over, say, what a shelter, which has an independent board and operates, does in their space, whether they allow pets or not,” Morgan said. “I understand the concern … and that has been a common concern in shelter [systems].”
Morgan also stressed that some people choose to remain outside, even when space is available.
“There are some people who continue to, even when there is space, refuse to take it, which is challenging because … outreach workers are out there trying to support them and encouraging them to take care of themselves,” he said.
However, advocates say the issue isn’t about refusal—it’s about the lack of viable options.
For those pushing for emergency shelter, the outcome of Tuesday’s meeting felt like a missed opportunity to take meaningful action.
“We need to start thinking beyond bureaucracy,” said Katie Morgan. “Lives are on the line.”
As temperatures continue to plummet, pressure is mounting on city officials to find solutions before another cold night turns deadly.