It seems as though the City of Guelph is feeling the heat following the sudden announcement on Thursday that a long-awaited daytime shelter program for the unhoused and precariously housed would not open as scheduled on Monday. A demonstration downtown on Saturday seems to have pushed Guelph’s mayor to pencil in a special council meeting this coming week while the City of Guelph is explaining itself in a surprise Sunday post.

To recap: Council approved in the 2026 budget $850,000 for Stepping Stone and Royal City Mission to manage a daytime drop-in shelter seven days a week back at the end of November. Before Christmas, the City of Guelph announced that the service would begin this week, but on Thursday both Stepping Stone and RCM announced that they could not reach a deal to make it happen. Even Mayor Cam Guthrie reacted with surprise to the sudden move as the whole thing played out on social media late Thursday afternoon and evening.

Following up on his statement that night, Guthrie announced on social media Saturday morning that there will be an emergency meeting of council this coming Tuesday at 5 pm. The agenda posted on the City of Guelph’s council and committee calendar page notes that the “Daytime Drop-in Space Procurement” will be discussed in closed under Section 239(2)(f) and (k) of the Municipal Act for “advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose and a position, plan, procedure, criteria or instruction to be applied to any negotiations carried on or to be carried on by or on behalf of the municipality or local board.”

“Due to the nature of the discussions, specifically legal advice and contractual matters, it must be an in-camera meeting. However, anything decided within that meeting may be reported openly and transparently to the public if applicable,” Guthrie said in his post. “I am taking this situation very seriously and will continue to keep everyone informed on next steps.”

Guthrie’s announcement came a few hours before the start of demonstration in front of Royal City Mission. Community members called the event an “urgent vigil” demanding that funding be “restored” to services offered out of RCM and to sign a petition to the City of Guelph asking to support daytime shelter services. Dozens of people took park, and organizers report that they have gathered at least 500 signatures by Sunday night.

As if sensing the growing concern in the community about how the daytime shelter file was being handled, the City of Guelph posted an official statement on its website Sunday night that went into detail about how its supported services at Royal City Mission on a temporary basis these last three years and how this new project fell apart.

“On Thursday, January 8, 2026, the City learned that the enhanced daytime drop-in space would not open on Monday, January 12 as planned. We explored a variety of emergency funding arrangements with Stepping Stone and Royal City Mission that were ultimately not successful,” the unattributed statement read. “While this setback is disappointing, it does not change our commitment to supporting people in need.”

The statement also referred people to the cold weather response plan posted on the website for the Guelph & Wellington Poverty Elimination Collaborative. It also said that they will publicly share the outcomes of the council meeting even though the meeting itself will take place in-camera due to “legal advice and contractual matters.”

“Thank you for your patience and support as we work with valued community agencies and partners to find a solution that reflects our shared commitment to providing a safe, dignified space for residents who need it most,” the statement concludes.

A rally is now being planned at city hall on Tuesday at 4:30 pm before the start of the council meeting. Organizers say that their goal is to get immediate and substantial support for a daytime matter and ensure that any action that council takes next is open and transparent.

Photo courtesy of Troy Bridgeman/YouTube.