Homeless encampment cleanup underway along Thompson Rivers

Brocklehurst resident Gary Holland came upon one of the larger sites at the end of Mayfair Street, which was left behind by people experiencing homelessness, and contained quite a few stolen items.

“Someone broke into my car again. So my son said, ‘Well, I think they live down on the beach on Mayfair.’ So we came down here, and we didn’t find anything of mine, but we found everyone else’s stuff,” Holland explains. “I was blown away when I came down here… This is a walk for these old people that live in the old folks home. They don’t even want to come down here; they’re so scared.”

Given that the area is on private property, City of Kamloops Bylaw Enforcement cannot simply enter and begin clean up.

However, as bylaw is working with the private property’s owner and RCMP to get items cleared away, some community members have made their way down to reclaim their belongings and clean up.

Holland figures it will take a few trips to get everything hauled away.

“Four trailer-loads. I’ve got a big T-Rex trailer, and so does my buddy, and he’s got walls on his. I mean, as many as it takes you know? Get what we can get out of here, and leave the rest for the homeowner or something.”

Long term set-ups are not encouraged by the city, however temporary camps are allowed on certain public areas within City of Kamloops guidelines.

For a map showing where temporary camps are allowed. click here.

Acting Bylaw Services Manager Tammy Blundell says those structures cannot be left unattended, and if they are, items left can be taken away.

“We have an RCMP officer and a bylaw enforcement officer that work closely together, and they physically go out and attend the camp. And the RCMP are trying to identify things that possibly could be stolen or valuable. Especially if they’ve had people call in about things that are stolen.”

With rising water levels, Blundell says bylaw services is concerned the homeless encampments along the riverbanks and any items left behind will be swept away in the river.

“Because we don’t know how fast the water is going to come up, so we’re working with them really closely over the next few days. And come Monday, we might be able to have our contractor go in and assist them in cleaning up the area.”

When items are taken away and camp residents cleared out, the City works to get them into a number of shelter and housing options, even if they might be unsure about traditional living.

Social and Community Development Services Supervisor Natalie Serl says it’s not uncommon to encounter people living along the riverbanks who aren’t interested in changing their way of life.

“Moving into something that might feel like an institution to them,” she explains. “It definitely does take some trust-building and changing their setting and their lifestyle a little bit to be able to live in that type of dwelling.”

The now-abandoned camp behind several senior residences in Brocklehurst is not the only area in Kamloops that sees a higher amount of temporary camps.

Notable camp areas include beside the Overlanders Bridge on the North Shore, along Schubert Drive, Pioneer Park, and in Valleyview.

“We know that there’s a growing concern with residents in some of these situations that have come up,” Serl acknowledges. “And so the City is certainly looking at how we can work with our community partners, how we can provide a better service to our residents to provide that level of assurance and assistance when things like this do happen.”

As the City works with the property owner to get trash off the beach before the river rises, many Brocklehurst residents like Holland plan to come out over the weekend for a community cleanup effort.

“You go down there, and there’s one little spot where there must be 30 needles. They’ve all got the heads on them, but they’re going to float. And if some kid picks it up on the beach, it’s like, ‘Oh what’s this’, you know?” Holland stresses, “It just needs to be cleaned up.”

by Dylana Milobar

Homeless encampment cleanup underway along Thompson Rivers

Our Community