City advertising warming centre on front of city buses

Belleville Transit buses will spread the word when the city’s warming centre is open, city hall announced Wednesday. Photo courtesy of the city of Belleville

By Ryan Peddigrew

BELLEVILLE – The city of Belleville will be using the screens on the front of transit buses to let people know when the warming centre at Victoria Avenue Baptist Church is open. 

The city opened the warming centre – to accommodate people with nowhere else to go on very cold nights – for the second time this year Tuesday.

The city advertises the warming centre being open on its website, as well as on Facebook and Twitter and by sending notifications to support groups, including the Grace Inn Shelter, Hastings County Social Services and the Belleville police.

Now, when the warming centre is open, the message “Warming Room Open Tonight” will appear on the message bar on the front of the city buses, the city announced Wednesday morning.

The warming centre will be open Wednesday night from 8 p.m. until 8 a.m. Thursday because of expected overnight temperatures of -17 C. Anyone who needs somewhere warm to be for the night is welcome. Victoria Avenue Baptist Church is at 34 Victoria Ave.