Canada/Reception Center 454 Will Relocate in 2027

The 454 Welcome Center, which has been located at St. Alban’s Church in the Côte-de-Sable neighborhood for several decades, is expected to move sometime in the new year.

In a blog post, Belong Ottawa states that, as part of its long-term planning, the organization and the City of Ottawa have agreed that the center will relocate after January 2027. However, its future location remains uncertain, and Centre 454 is trying to extend its stay in the Côte-de-Sable neighborhood.

Centre 454 is located at St. Alban’s Church, at the corner of Daly Street and King Edward Avenue. It is one of three drop-in centers managed by the Anglican pastoral group Belong Ottawa. The center provides people experiencing homelessness with hot meals, laundry services, and a safe place to rest and make friends.

Shawna Young, executive director of Belong Ottawa, describes the Côte-de-Sable neighborhood as a lifeline for Ottawa’s vulnerable communities, but explains that pressure from city officials and neighborhood residents prompted the relocation plan.

Neighborhood residents are confronted with drug use and witness many deeply disturbing scenes on the street, explains Ms. Young.

Recent closures of nearby supervised consumption sites and treatment services have increased pressure on Ottawa’s health and social services system, Belong Ottawa writes. In response, Belong Ottawa has asked the City to extend the transition period to ensure continuity of services, the safety of participants, and the well-being of the neighborhood, given the evolving situation and the concerns raised by Ottawa’s Chief Medical Officer of Health.

This is an essential service, and people experiencing homelessness have a right to dignity and care.

A quote from Shawna Young, Executive Director of Belong Ottawa

According to Ms. Young, the City funds approximately 80% of Centre 454, with the remainder coming from the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa and donations.

CBC contacted the City of Ottawa for details on the relocation plan but did not receive a response in time for publication.

Not a New Project

The idea of a relocation had already been proposed to the City two years ago. Neighborhood residents described Centre 454 as a danger to the community. They asked the City to cut off its funding.

During a 2024 municipal budget meeting, neighborhood residents stated that some of the center’s users were harassing them, trespassing on their properties, using drugs in their driveways, and even defecating in their yards.

But others, like Patrick Mathisen, argue that Centre 454 provides an essential service in Côte-de-Sable.

“I had some problems and ended up living on the street,” he says. “It was Centre 454 that helped me set up a social support network, find a counselor—all of that.”

Centre 454 reports that it has seen an increase in activity since the city’s last supervised drug consumption sites closed in June.

Although the center has not seen a spike in overdoses, the medical needs of its visitors have increased.

Ms. Young notes that more meals are being served, adding that the center has doubled its distribution of prevention supplies to protect drug users.

Although it is not yet known where it will relocate, Centre 454 is requesting a longer relocation period to ease the transition for people who depend on its services.

“Ideally, the City would grant us an extension so that we can continue to operate here until we find another suitable location to continue helping the people we serve,” insists the executive director of Belong Ottawa.

Source: ici.radio-canada.ca/