Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Amandalina Letterio

CITY OF KAMLOOPS

City of Kamloops working on replacement shelter for Memorial Arena

Oct 14, 2021 | 4:21 PM

KAMLOOPS — The City of Kamloops says it’s hard at work looking for a new space to become a replacement shelter for the Memorial Arena.

“We do want to see Memorial Arena return to recreational use and that’s our intent. It should be an ice surface in there this winter for those user groups,” said Carmine Mazzotta, Social Housing and Community Development Manager for the City of Kamloops.

The shelter is currently operated by the Kamloops’ Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). The City is working closely with BC Housing to find a new — and possibly permanent space — as they avoid a worst case scenario.

“Ending up with potentially a sizeable homeless encampment in the downtown, which we have managed to avoid as a city so far,” Mazzotta told CFJC News.

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“I don’t think it’s anything that anyone would want. From a human rights perspective, from a business improvement perspective,” he added.

The Memorial Arena shelter sometimes houses over 50 people a night.

According to the City, there are more than 200 homeless people in Kamloops but only 125 beds.

If this shelter closes, those people will have no place to go.

“It’s the cold season, people could freeze to death. We also have folks with medical issues that would not be able to get the services that we provide in shelter,” explained Alfred Achoba, executive director at CMHA Kamloops.

The City says it’s not as simple as relocating those people to any vacant space. The location must be up to BC Housing standards.

“We want to make sure that we’re working with the City and the communities and the neighbourhoods that they’re in and make sure its the best fit possible,” said Nanette Drobot, Interior Regional Director at BC Housing.

“We know that shelters can be a divisive thing in communities and we’re hoping that the locations that we can come up with in the future will be embraced by the community,” she said.

The City is hoping to come up with a new shelter location as soon as possible.

“It is an emergency housing situation here. It’s about providing shelter rather than folks sleeping rough, especially as we’re heading into winter with this colder weather approaching,” Mazzotta said.