Community leaders, including Ottawa’s mayor, will sleep outside City Hall tonight as part of the Sleep Out for Youth campaign.
The initiative, organized by the Youth Services Bureau, John Howard Society, Operation Come Home and Ottawa Salus, is inviting “supportive community members” to sleep outside near the Rink of Dreams until 7 a.m., according to its website.
“The fact is that there are 1,000 homeless youth living on Ottawa streets. This disturbing data provided serious incentive for community leaders to demonstrate our support for this youth initiative,” said Charles Bordeleau, the chief of Ottawa Police Services, in a news release.
Other community leaders sleeping outside include Mayor Jim Watson, Fire Services Chief John de Hooge and Ottawa-Centre MPP Yasir Naqvi.