Council to consider Centre 70 for relocation of sleeping cabins

Kingston City Council will be considering the relocation of the sleeping cabins located at Portsmouth Olympic Harbour at its next council meeting on Tuesday, May 17, 2022. Later this month, the experimental tiny home community located at Portsmouth Olympic Harbour (POH) will be removed, as the harbour returns to its usual seasonal sailing activities.

This sleeping cabins pilot project, funded by a mix of a City grant and donated estate finances, is set to wrap up later this month, after opening in January of this year. When the matter last came before City Council, no viable options for the relocation of the cabins had yet been determined, leaving the question of what would happen next hanging in the air — until Wednesday, May 4, 2022, when Councillor Wayne Hill, who represents the Lakeside District in Kingston, shared some news of its possible next chapter on social media.

“As you know this past winter a local support group called Our Livable Solutions, supported by generous donors from the community along with Council support, established a winter sleeping cabin program at Portsmouth Olympic Harbour. I admit that at the time I had serious reservations about this program but as it winds up its stay for the winter at POH I am pleased to say that it has been a resounding success,” Hill begins.

Hill then notes that Council is “looking to reposition the 10 sleeping cabins for the summer beginning late May and running through to September.” As with the location at the Harbour, the new location will require washroom and shower facilities, a communal kitchen and meeting space, and nearby access to public transportation.

“[City] staff and Our Livable Solutions have determined that the most efficacious spot to locate the sleeping huts for the summer is at Centre 70,” Hill says. “It has all of the attributes required and Centre 70 does not operate any programs during the summer months. Should Council support this, on May 17, the sleeping cabins would be at Centre 70 over spring/summer and the program would be relocated by the time the arena’s fall/winter program begins.”

Hill then notes that the staff at the City and Our Livable Solutions approached him about locating the sleeping cabins to the arena site in his district and, after reviewing the operational details of Centre 70, he is “enthusiastic about their proposal.”

“I know the sense of community and generosity that exists in Lakeside and I am confident that they will be welcomed and supported during their time here,” he expresses. “In the meantime, OLS and staff from the City will be meeting with local community stakeholders to assist with the transition.”

“The residents that surround Portsmouth Olympic Harbour were very generous in their support of this program,” Hill continues. “There were no complaints received from neighbours throughout the course of the time the sleeping cabins were in place. I am very confident that the same generous spirit and community welcome will await these residents when they arrive here for the summer.”

Hill concludes his statement by requesting feedback from his constituents, whom he welcomed to contact him via email.

This is a developing story. Kingstonist will provide updates as more information becomes available.