People without shelter in Northumberland County can escape winter’s chill overnight with a new temporary warming room opening in Cobourg on Thursday (November 27).
Northumberland County has announced its overnight winter warming room space, which is located in Committee Room A on the second floor at county headquarters at 555 Courthouse Road, will be open nightly from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m until March 31.
People can access the space from the rear of the county building using the upper parking lot entrance. Washrooms and light refreshments will be available for those using the warming room.
In late October, Northumberland County council approved plans to establish the temporary warming room as the need for additional overnight shelter capacity in Northumberland continues.
With the county’s only shelter at 310 Division Street in Cobourg frequently operating at or near capacity and its warming room now closed, the temporary warming room is expected to fill a gap by providing more people who are living rough with a heated place to rest during the winter months.
“We continue to see high demand for shelter and respite services each winter,” said Rebecca Carman, Northumberland County’s associate director of housing and homelessness.
“Staff have worked diligently to bring this temporary space forward,” Carman said.
“We appreciate the engagement of Town of Cobourg staff throughout this process to provide a license under the (town’s by-law regulating emergency care establishments). This warming room will help ensure that more residents have a safe place to rest during the coldest nights of the year.”
Earlier in 2025, county council directed staff to close the low-barrier warming room on the lower level of the 310 Division Street shelter and explore other locations outside of Cobourg to establish a new space.
The decision to close the shelter’s warming room followed seven months of complaints from neighbouring residents and businesses after the shelter, which is owned by Northumberland County and operated by Transition House, opened in December 2024.
Over the summer, county staff toured and considered eight possible warming room locations, six of which were outside of Cobourg (including three churches and three municipal sites) and two of which were within Cobourg (including two municipal sites owned by Northumberland County).
In early October, council directed staff to explore the potential of a warming room at four of those locations: county headquarters at 555 Courthouse Road, the county building at 600 William Street, the Ontario Agri-Food Venture Centre at 216 Purdy Road in Colborne, and Fenella Hall at 8071 County Road 45 in Roseneath.
Later in the month, at its October 28 meeting, county council reviewed a staff report describing the operational considerations, outcomes and impacts, and financial implications of each location, with council ultimately deciding on the Courthouse Road location.
“The warming room reflects the county’s commitment to safeguarding the well-being of vulnerable residents,” Northumberland County warden Brian Ostrander said in a statement. “As winter approaches, ensuring access to a safe, reliable overnight space is an essential step in meeting the urgent needs we continue to see in our community.”
Northumberland County said it will be working closely with neighbours, partners, and the broader community to ensure the successful operation of the temporary warming room. Residents who have any security concerns or wish to report activity of concern near the warming room can call 1-877-770-2564.
