City breaks ground on North Shore affordable housing project

With Community Living BC and Interior Health standing alongside ASK Wellness to provide services, Executive Director Bob Hughes says the development is expected to be a stepping stone in getting people back on their feet in Kamloops.

“It’s a long way back once people have been homeless and been left to fend for themselves without feeling included. And that’s, I think, (what) our great challenge is — what’s next, let’s get them housed, then what do we do next?”

Hughes says it’s hard to help people turn their lives around if they’re not in a nurturing environment.

“We’ve had in our town, over 200 people absolutely homeless,” Hughes says. “You can’t get well if you’re living outside. I think our great challenge with ASK and many other service providers that work with people who have been homeless is how to get people well.”

As the province tackles widespread housing issues, B.C.’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing says it’s important to not only pay attention to those currently living on the streets, but those who could end up homeless.

On hand for the groundbreaking today, Selina Robinson says there are people from all walks of life having trouble affording a place to live.

“For middle income people, we know that they’re struggling. I have heard stories from people who have finished school, they’ve done all the right things, they’ve got some student debt, and they’re saying you know, I want to become a teacher, and I can get a job, but I can’t find a place to live because I can’t afford it.”

Located in the heart of the Tranquille corridor, Spirit Square is not a new area in town, but Kamloops Mayor Ken Christian says it needed a larger project to draw people in and reach its potential.

“Spirit Square park never really met its expectations in terms of a people place. Now that we’re going to have seniors housing right here in this quadrant I think it’s certainly going to impact the McDonald Park neighbourhood, as well as the Tranquille area. With people comes shopping, comes businesses, and comes that vitality that we look for here on the North Shore.”

The commerical space in the project already has some tenants interested, including a distillery and tasting room.

That’s not all, according to Joshua Knaak of Arpa Investments.

“We’ve also chatted with some pharmacies that are interested in the space. Potentially a walk-in clinic, and then another Kamloops tentant, who I won’t mention at this point, but it’s somebody who is on the North Shore, who is in an older building, and is saying ‘I think I can really grow my business if I move into a newer space’.”

Knaak says for developers, the North Shore is a great place to look into expanding.

“I’d love to say that it’s all just philanthropic, but it’s opportunity. We see that there’s tremendous opportunity on the North Shore. There hasn’t been a lot of construction here in quite some time.”

Kamloops Council approved the project back in August this year, which had little to no opposition from the public, Knaak says,

“This is an easy community to develop in because there’s so much pent up desire to see things happen,” he explains. “People want to see positive change happen here, and so when you go and say ‘We’re tearing down an abandoned gas station and we’re going to put in a you-name-it’, people get excited.”

Progress has already been made, with excavators on site, water lines going in, and footings scheduled to be dug next week.

This latest initiative follows two other buildings currently under construction in the Tranquille area. All three are expected to be complete and give the North Shore a whole new look in the next year.

by Dylana Milobar

City breaks ground on North Shore affordable housing project

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