EmergencyHousing.CA · Ottawa · Case manager / client tool · v4

Find a public place in Ottawa

For people who are precariously housed, and for case managers building an immediate safety plan. The generator picks from a large Ottawa pool: hospitals, community health centres, shelters, rec centres, parks, wading pools, Tim Hortons, McDonald’s, grocery, 24-hour sites, transit, and quieter outdoor land. Nothing is stored.

Danger now: 911 Distress: 988 Housing / shelter: 211 or Ottawa 311 Assaulted Women’s Helpline: 1-866-863-0511

High visibility = busy, staffed, witnesses (malls, hospitals, 24h counters, transit). Low visibility = quieter parks and Greenbelt land — useful when someone should not be easy to find, but also more isolated. Overnight tents are usually banned in City parks. This is a public-place picker, not a guarantee of safety.

SUPPORT

Emergency / homeless shelters Social facilities / outreach Food banks

HEALTH

Hospitals Clinics / walk-in Doctors / medical offices Pharmacies Dentists

SAFETY

Police stations Fire stations

CIVIC

Libraries Community centres Recreation / sports centres City hall / government offices Post offices Universities / colleges Colleges Places of worship

OUTDOORS

Public parks Playgrounds Picnic sites Forests / woods Nature reserves Public gardens Dog parks Beaches

WATER

Swimming pools Wading / splash pads Water parks

RECREATION

Ice rinks / arenas Sports pitches / fields Stadiums

CULTURE

Museums Art galleries Theatres Cinemas

FOOD

Cafés Restaurants Fast food Tim Hortons McDonald's Starbucks Food courts Bakeries

RETAIL

Supermarkets / grocery Convenience stores Shopping malls Department stores 24/7 shops (tagged) Gas stations

SERVICES

Laundromats Banks

LODGING

Hotels Motels Hostels

CAMPING

Official campgrounds / camp sites RV / caravan sites Lean-tos / wilderness huts NCC Greenbelt & large woodlots

TRANSIT

Bus stations / terminals Train / rail stations

AMENITIES

Public toilets Drinking water

HOURS

Any 24-hour tagged place

HOW TO PICK

Whole Ottawa pool Only checked types

Random generator Ranked list

Any visibility High visibility (busy / staffed) Lower visibility (quieter outdoor)

Indoor only How many random results

How to use this with a client

Safety-plan random: several high-visibility public sites a person can name without sharing a home address.
24-hour style: ERs, transit hubs, late counters — hours still need a live check.
Lower visibility: quieter parks and Greenbelt land when being seen is the risk. Isolated sites are not “safer.”
No GPS, no address form, no saved destination. Live maps + a large Ottawa index if APIs fail.