Horizons for Youth

I've stayed in 5 different emergency shelters in Toronto and this one is the best. Almost as clean as Covenant House and certain staff are twice as nice. It's small compared to Covenant House which I like. The location is nice and quiet compared to downtown, you just have to do simple chores and programs if you're there all day. I was busy with work so it was no problem, just did chores now and then.

It was really a pleasure to be the.
A safe place for youths

I stayed here a few times in the early the 2000s, usually just for a couple weeks at a time while I was discharged from Covenant House. If you're used to somewhere like Covey you'll have to adjust your expectations a bit. The facilities aren't as luxurious, the food isn't as good, you have to do chores, and the sometimes indifferent staff WILL discharge people for stupid reasons. That said, I always thought Horizon's was a hell of a lot better to stay at than Turning Point, Eva's Satellite/Place, or Second Base (list goes on). It's located in a beautiful, quiet, residential neighbourhood with nearby parks and trails. It was always a welcome respite from the tumultuous street life of downtown. It wasn't overcrowded and the environment was rarely ever negative, it felt very chill to me. I have fond memories of meeting people in the little outdoor smoking area (I wonder if it still exists?), sharing cigarettes, life stories, and making new friends. I also remember blazing joints at Bert Robinson Park in the majestic autumn foilage -- 15 years later it's still something I think about from time to time. There's a positive side to any situation, the better you are at seeing it the better off you'll be, in my humble opinion. I wish you all the absolute best!

Some really good, others neutral-ish staff. Poor wifi