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Tuesday’s meeting was specific to the possible use of parking behind the police station at 330 Montreal Rd. as a site for bridge housing.
Published Feb 25, 2026 • 3 minute read
Cornwall general manager for housing services Mellissa Morgan, addressing the audience at the second public information session on bridge housing on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, in Cornwall, Ont. Photo by Marc Benoit /Cornwall Standard-FreeholderArticle content
A public meeting on another possible location for bridge housing took place at the Centre Charles-Émile-Claude on Tuesday, eliciting a mixed reaction from those who attended.
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The event was organized by Cornwall’s human services department, with general manager Mellissa Morgan and manager Lisa Smith leading the discussion. Cornwall Police Service Chief Shawna Spowart also presented information on police calls for the city’s temporary transitional housing site and fielded questions from the audience.
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This is the second public meeting relating to bridge housing to be held in Cornwall this year, following a contentious meeting in January that saw intense pushback from some residents.
Cornwall’s housing services department responded to feedback regarding other possible locations for bridge housing and announced two additional proposals last week. One proposed location, behind the east-end police station at 330 Montreal Rd., was the focus of Tuesday’s meeting.
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The proposal for 330 Montreal Rd. is similar to the proposals presented in January, with the only main difference being location. Morgan and Smith shared some of their criteria for site selection, noting that each location under consideration comes with its own benefits and added challenges.
Tuesday’s meeting saw a smaller, calmer crowd than in January, though residents still voiced frustrations. City staff kept the discussion focused on bridge housing and services.
Community members gathered at the Centre Charles-Émile-Claude to ask questions and address concerns regarding the City of Cornwall’s proposed bridge housing project, on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, in Cornwall, Ont. Photo by Marc Benoit /Cornwall Standard-Freeholder
Morgan noted in her presentation that Ontario is projected to have over 175,000 homeless people across the province if nothing is done about addressing the housing crisis. As a notable comparison, that figure exceeds the population of the City of Kingston.
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One resident clarified the maximum length of stay, falsely claiming that previous Cornwall Standard-Freeholder coverage indicated four months would be the longest permitted stay.
The same resident also asked what the cost per taxpayer would work out to be. Morgan responded by revealing that a source of funding that staff cannot yet speak to would keep the project’s impact on city coffers to a minimum.
When asked if the funding source would be private or public, Morgan would not elaborate further.
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Tensions peaked with one resident expressing discontent over a perceived increase of panhandling in the La Village area of Cornwall, and took aim at community policing in the area.
“I’m a first responder. I deal with our vulnerable people every day at work, and I have to live in this area as well,” said the resident. “I’m realizing every time I go to Lamoureux Park and I feel unsafe maybe I should be calling [Cornwall Police Service] to get your stats up.”
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Spowart addressed the resident, reminding them and the public that they should report crime to police on a case-by-case basis.
One business owner in La Village expressed concern over parking limitations. Morgan responded by saying the proposal at 330 Montreal Rd. would only use half the parking lot.
Some residents chose to speak up in support of the project, with one noting the initial proposal was likely the best location, noting that people will be opposed no matter where the city decides to move forward.
Following the meeting Coun. Carilyne Hébert expressed that if residents are opposed to the locations selected by the city, they’re encouraged to speak up and share other solutions to the ongoing housing crisis impacting the majority of communities in Ontario.
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Couns. Elaine MacDonald and Denis Sabourin were in attendance, expressing support for bridge housing.
MacDonald said right now council is focused on selecting one location, but expressed she expects this won’t be the only bridge housing project that the City of Cornwall pursues because, “the need is so great.”
MacDonald also touched on the overall responsibility of higher levels of government when it comes to housing. Historically, building housing was the purview of the federal and provincial governments until the 1990s.
“We live here, and if they aren’t going to step in, we will,” said MacDonald.
Sabourin largely echoed MacDonald’s comments, saying the public meeting was a “listen and learn” exercise for council.
Cornwall will hold its third and final public information session on bridge housing, focusing on a location on Saunders Drive at the very west end of Riverdale, next week.
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