Credit: Mel Rothenburger
ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: Tranquille corridor upgrade a good idea but it won’t solve social issues

Sep 1, 2021 | 4:32 AM

KAMLOOPS — ANOTHER TRANQUILLE ROAD store has been broken into, its front door smashed open.

Coincidentally, City council discussed a plan yesterday for an upgrade to the Tranquille Road shopping corridor.

The last major streetscaping there was done 50 years ago. Improvements will include getting rid of the unattractive tree planters, installing benches, fixing up sidewalks and improving pedestrian sightlines.

The North Shore BIA, understandably, promotes the idea because, along with the Tranquille market corridor plan, it will make the shopping zone more inviting. The BIA is, however, being overly optimistic about possible impacts on social issues and street crime.

It suggests the project stands to “reduce criminality and anti-social behaviours through awareness by peers about the effort and pride they feel in contributing to their community.”

If only we could bank on that, but experience suggests otherwise. Except for isolated social programs that focus on community service, there’s little evidence the homeless and drug-addicted — and certainly not the criminals — put much thought into maintaining an attractive urban environment.

That’s not a judgment; just an observation. Neither am I belittling in any way the BIA’s efforts, which have included calls for tougher penalties for criminals.

Disrespect for both public and private property, which manifests itself in the littering of needles and general garbage, and vandalism, is a matter of convenience and certainly isn’t limited to the North Shore.

Community pride comes from a sense of common purpose, not just from sidewalks and benches. It means giving back, and I don’t know the secret to instilling that in people who live on the street. As for the criminals, they have no respect for the community they live in, and are hardly contenders for good citizen of the year.

The proposed project is exciting but we expect too much if we think it can fix people problems. We’re left with pinning our hopes on police, the courts, social agencies and legislators to do that.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

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

View Comments