A CALL FOR CLIMATE ACTION As fires rage and smoke obscures the sun and creates dangerous air quality levels, Kamloops residents take to the streets to demand a serious response to the climate change threat. Meanwhile, KTW global affairs columnist Gwynne Dyer wonders if this summer’s series of events worldwide has been enough to frighten the powers-that-be into action.
PAGES A12, A13 kamloopsthisweek.com | kamloopsthisweek |
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2021 | Volume 34 No. 31
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RESIDENTS RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT DAY SPACES MICHAEL POTESTIO
LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE
michael@kamloopsthisweek.com
Some residents are voicing their concerns regarding where new day spaces for the homeless are being set up this month — one along West Victoria Street downtown and another in North Kamloops, about a half-block from The Loop drop-in centre, which is now closed to gatherings. For the next four months, The Kamloops Aboriginal Friendship Society (KAFS), Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), ASK Wellness Society and Interior Community Services (ICS) will operate the day space, dubbed Envision, at 346 Campbell Ave. It is the vacant, privately owned former liquor store property behind the Northbridge
Hotel on Tranquille Road. Meanwhile, later this month, KAFS and The Mustard Seed will open a day space for the homeless, dubbed The Gathering Place, in a parking lot next to the city’s storage facility for the homeless, at 48 West Victoria Street. Envision is to open at 9 a.m. and close at 9 p.m., with shuttle service to shelter space offered at the end of the day. The site will have tables, tents and chairs set up in the parking lot and will be run by a pair of outreach workers and a program co-ordinator. Meals, water and washroom access will be on hand, along with opportunities to connect with services. The project has the backing of the City of Kamloops, but does not appear to have the support of all residents, many of whom live
on the other side of a fence line or alleyway that abuts the property. The McDonald Park Neighbourhood Association (MPNA) recently surveyed residents to gather their thoughts on the project and found 66 per cent of 181 respondents said they do not support the Envision project on Campbell Avenue. Ten per cent are in favour of it and another 25 per cent said they are not sure. The top concerns amongst respondents are that the space would bring about an increase in garbage and drug paraphernalia in the surrounding neighbourhood and an increase in property crime. Those were followed by concerns regarding disturbances from people yelling and making threats, increased loitering,
declining property values and general safety concerns, MPNA spokesperson Sarah Johnstone told KTW. She said most respondents were from the McDonald Park area. City officials reached out to the association shortly after announcing the day space was coming, inviting residents to a 5 p.m. weekday meeting last week in McDonald Park to hear concerns. The media were not invited to the event. Johnstone said about 30 residents attended and expressed their frustrations and concerns, which reflected the concerns sussed out in the survey. Residents, particularly on Campbell Avenue and adjacent Angus Street — both of which back on to the Envision property
— had concerns, she said, noting The Loop drop-in centre for the homeless and others in need did not integrate well into the neighbourhood. Other concerns raised were what might happen between the hours of operation, Johnstone said. “It’s not so much people hanging out, but the actions that can accompany that,” Johnstone said, noting the possibility of people tenting in McDonald Park or committing crimes to feed addictions. “Not everyone who’s homeless is the issue, it’s the people who are going to be openly doing drugs within a few feet of children in the morning,” she said. “We have multiple day cares in the neighbourhood.” See CITY SAYS, A6
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