‘Heartbreaking’: Vacant building fires expose London’s shelter shortage

Another fire in a vacant downtown building is raising fresh concerns about homelessness in London. CTV’s Reta Ismail explains.

Another fire in a vacant downtown building is raising fresh concerns about homelessness in London, as shelters say they are out of space and families warn people are being left with nowhere safe to go.

London Fire responded to a call Tuesday morning. A small pile of garbage was in flames inside an idle building at Dundas Street and Lyle, directly across from the Ark Aid Mission.

The site, a former bank, was left with broken plywood and shattered glass after the incident.

It comes just days after the former Kent Brewery was set ablaze over the weekend when a pair of fires ripped through the building.

Officials say the cause was not deemed suspicious but believe the fires were likely started unintentionally by someone trying to keep warm.

It’s a problem that has become increasingly common this winter as shelters across the city say they are bursting at the seams.

Ark Aid Mission Director of Operations Jacki Kostuk said demand is far outpacing capacity.

“We are continuing to turn people away for programs and for night spaces. It is absolutely, as a human being, heartbreaking to say to someone, ‘I don’t have space for you tonight,’” Kostuk said.

She added that like many organizations in London, Ark Aid relies heavily on donations and volunteers — and is still struggling to keep up.

“We are really challenged right now with the need that we see in our community. Folks on our streets are struggling,” Kostuk said.

Downtown Ward 13 Coun. David Ferreira said the situation is reaching a breaking point and is calling for more funding from all levels of government.

“This is a crisis … and there’s just not enough capacity. There’s not enough housing to house people. And when you have people who are in desperate situations out in the cold, they will try to find any means that they can to stay warm,” Ferreira said.

For some, that reality has already turned deadly.

In the spring of 2023, 31-year-old Olivia Clark was trying to stay warm inside a makeshift tent when it caught fire. She later died in hospital.

Her mother, Stephanie Clark, said the recent fires bring back painful memories and highlight a loss of compassion in the community.

“This harkens back, obviously, to the loss that we suffered with our daughter … We did see a change in the empathy after our daughter Olivia passed away in 2023 with the London community. The empathy was there. We have seen that empathy erode,” she said.

Stephanie Clark said her daughter’s death underscores ongoing gaps in social support, and her family has since become advocates for vulnerable Londoners.

“If my loss can help somebody else’s child get the help that they need so that maybe they can get back to their family, then I will do that. I’ll do that journey,” she said.