Image Credit: CFJC Today

By James Peters

Two & Out

PETERS: Intentions were laudable, execution was lacking at The Loop

Jul 23, 2021 | 11:02 AM

THERE IS MUCH TO BE LAUDED about what Glenn Hilke has done with The Loop, a pop-up non-profit agency that provided services for the people the rest of society has the most discomfort with: those who are street-affected, those with mental health challenges and those grappling with substance use disorder.

Hilke and his colleagues had noble intentions and tried to do something very difficult.

Criticizing is easy for those who, instead of trying to do something very difficult, sit on their La-Z-Boys and do nothing at all.

In a way, our community needs more Glenn Hilkes — in that it needs more citizens who realize they have something to offer a population that needs a helping hand.

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Has The Loop been successful? Its proponents would certainly say yes, while its neighbours would say no.

That’s because, in addition to the reliable meals and other services it provided, it also provided its neighbourhood with no small amount of grief — a level of nuisance behaviour not seen in the shelter that has called the south side of the river home for decades, the Mustard Seed.

Whether The Loop was successful is a question perhaps best answered by its clients.

The food security offered by The Loop is just one piece of a very complex puzzle for its patrons.

For whatever reason, it has not been able to integrate with providers of some of the other services that could have offered valuable help and could have prevented The Loop from falling into such disfavour with its North Shore neighbours.

The Loop offered low-barrier services.

Nearby businesses and residents noted low-barrier often meant low-rules or low-structure.

NIMBY voices shouldn’t be the only voices heard in relation to the provision of services, but people deserve to have a level of expectation about what happens in their own neighbourhoods.

Everyone deserves to feel safe — those with stability in their lives and those without.

A group of stakeholders is opening up a new day space on the North Shore soon and there is reason for optimism it will strike that balance a little more consistently.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.