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London

Overnight attendance rises again at emergency warming centre slated to close Friday

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A homeless Londoner is assisted loading his belongings into a Checker Taxi Limo as City of London prepares to wind down the emergency warming centre at Carling Heights Optimist Community Centre. Jan. 24, 2025. (Daryl Newcombe/CTV News London)

The Carling Heights Optimist Community Centre (CHOCC) had 132 people spend Thursday night inside its emergency warming centre.

The third night saw more people seeking refuge from the frigid temperatures than Tuesday (62) and Wednesday (120).

However, the temporary conversion of the community centre into a warming centre is slated to end once the Middlesex London Health Unit (MLHU) declares the Cold Weather Alert over, which is expected sometime on Friday.

Daily high temperatures are still anticipated to be below zero in the coming days, but Cold Weather Alerts require temperatures below -15 C degrees or -20 C degrees with windchill.

On Friday morning, a stream of taxis have been driving up to the front door of CHOCC collecting people and their belongings.

The City of London is expected to announce plans for winding down the warming centre later today.

This is a developing story. More details to come.