City of Kamloops Community Service Officers arrive at the LOOP on Thursday (July 22). (Image Credit: CFJC Today / Adam Donnelly)

By Dylana Kneeshaw

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Jul 22, 2021 | 4:56 PM

KAMLOOPS — Less surprised and more frustrated, LOOP operator Glenn Hilke says he doesn’t understand the City’s decision to suspend the organization’s business license, or the suspension of its funding, given the service gaps it fills on the North Shore.

“This is a disgrace. This should not be happening,” Hilke told CFJC from outside the LOOP on Thursday (July 22). “As much as business is important — and not-for-profit agencies are businesses — the people who are served here need to be taken into consideration, and they’re not.”

Once the business license was revoked, Hilke says community service officers arrived at the centre to have the front of the building cleared of any items stored there. Many of the items were taken to the Mission Flats facility to be stored, and volunteers and clients spent the morning clearing away anything that remained.

“This is something that’s really important to understand. When we as members of the public see people who are homeless with their shopping carts or their bicycles or their backpacks or their suitcases — this is not garbage, these are people’s personal belongings.” stresses Hilke.

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Residents and businesses have been critical of the various nuisance issues that have occurred around the facility. This week, an altercation outside of the building turned physical, with community service officers, and Kamloops RCMP eventually getting involved.

Hilke says the incident stemmed from a man who does not use the LOOP showing up on the property, and harassing volunteers and clients. He attributes much of the public criticism the centre receives to social media pages that are ‘just fanning the flames’.

“It’s been very, very difficult for a number of months here. We’ve been doing everything in our power. If we had more power to open up a shelter and let people sleep inside, we certainly would.”

However Kamloops Mayor Ken Christian says the physical incident was a sign to the City that it was time to take action.

“We don’t take lightly putting a property on our nuisance property list. And when we do, the expectation is that things would improve and that things would improve in the neighbourhood,” Christian explains. “What’s happened here is it’s gone exactly the opposite direction. Things have deteriorated. Myself and council have been inundated with complaints.”

Christian says the City is aware of the services provided by the LOOP, but the gap left by that organization’s closure can be filled by existing agencies, and the implementation of two new day centres in Kamloops.

“With the day spaces that we are proposing, there is a commitment for the wraparound services that will be available,” notes Christian. “These people need help. These people are fighting with addictions and they desperately need the kind of medical intervention that will help them get back into a productive role with society. But right now they’re floundering, and they’re not going to be floundering at that location any longer.”

Meantime, the LOOP says it planned to be involved in the newest day program on the North Shore — Envision — which will operated half a block away in a former commercial space at 346 Campbell Ave. But Hilke claims the City left them out of that program.

“We made the City aware that the landlord was open to this. We made them aware that we were interested in working with them to be part of the solution process. Behind our backs, they took that away from us.”

For now, the LOOP has been told to shut its doors, and is trying to see what can be done about the business license and funding. Regardless, the organization says it has no plans to disappear from Kamloops.

“Keep supporting us, keep helping us.” Hilke urges volunteers and donors to stay tuned. “We’re not closing down. We’re going to run business as usual here in the most positive and productive way possible.”