Residents raise safety concerns over warming centre behind City Hall
Neighbours say open drug use, violence and a recent trash-bin fire near the 81 Elizabeth St. warming centre have made the area feel unsafe. City says it has taken steps.
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By Torontoer Staff
Neighbours are reporting open drug use, assaults and repeated disturbances around the warming centre at 81 Elizabeth St., immediately behind Toronto City Hall. A resident supplied city incident reports and described a pattern of late-night disorder that she says has transformed a quiet street.
The resident, Sherry Robertson, provided records from the city’s Shelter Management Information System covering November 2023 to March 2025. Those logs include 30 suspected overdoses and 19 violent incidents, and they reference the February 2024 killing of Gregory Lawrie, a case that resulted in a manslaughter plea in December 2024.
What the incident records show
Most entries in the records supplied by the resident are medical events not explicitly labelled as drug-related, but the number of suspected overdoses and reports of threats or assaults have alarmed neighbours. One redacted report appears to concern Lawrie’s death at the site in February 2024. Court documents show Taylor Harker pleaded guilty to manslaughter in December 2024.
I don’t go out after 5 now. This is a beautiful, lovely, sleepy little street, and it’s completely like a war zone now.
Sherry Robertson, nearby resident
Robertson and other neighbours say the commotion from the small parkette beside the centre carries on into the night. They report open drug use, petty theft and a string of incidents that have prompted residents to hire private security and document disturbances in a local Facebook group.
City response and site details
The city describes warming centres as temporary, activated sites that open 24/7 when temperatures of −5 C are expected or when a winter-weather warning is issued. The Elizabeth Street location lists showers, a pet-friendly policy and a reported capacity of 75 people. The city would not confirm whether the site has sleeping space for 75 people.
- The city says there are no current plans to convert the site into a full-year respite centre.
- Officials reduced the number of spaces at the Elizabeth Street site in response to community feedback.
- Four security guards were hired for the location.
- Neighbourhood response teams were added to patrol the area and connect people to services.
City hall confirmed the neighbourhood response teams are employees of contractor One Community Solutions. That company has been under scrutiny in other coverage over pay and human-resources concerns. Dixon Hall, which operates the warming centre, has hired a staff member to liaise with the community, the city said.
Police probe and neighbourhood impact
Police are investigating a recent trash-bin fire on a sidewalk near the warming centre as an arson. Neighbours have also reported break-ins, vandalism and repeated calls for emergency response to the block.
It’s traumatizing to me when I walk down the street. It’s happened, with my groceries, and some guy’s violently kung fu fighting by himself and tells me to get off the F-ing sidewalk. It stays with you.
Sherry Robertson, nearby resident
Residents say they have had limited direct communication with their ward councillor, Ausma Malik. The councillor did not respond to requests for comment. City officials say they have made adjustments and that Dixon Hall is addressing concerns through a dedicated liaison.
What neighbours want next
Neighbour feedback collected by the city in 2023 showed strong support for harm-reduction services at warming centres. Residents in the Elizabeth Street area say they want clearer, ongoing communication from both operators and elected officials, faster responses to reported incidents and assurance that safety measures will be sustained if the site remains active in future winters.
Police investigations into the arson remain open, and the city says it has taken steps to reduce impacts on the community. Neighbours say the changes do not yet match the level of disruption they are experiencing, and they continue to press for more direct engagement and stronger on-the-ground supports.
The warming centre at 81 Elizabeth St. remains active when the city issues winter activations. City staff, the centre operator and police are the primary points of contact as residents and officials weigh short-term needs against longer-term solutions for the block behind City Hall.
warming centrehomelessnesspublic safetyToronto City HallDixon Hall
