(CFJC Today/File photo).

By Aaron Schulze

Kamloops Homeless

Three homeless shelters to open in Kamloops, guests to be relocated from Memorial Arena

Nov 9, 2021 | 4:16 PM

KAMLOOPS — The B.C. government and the City of Kamloops will open three new shelters to provide approximately 115 spaces for people experiencing homelessness, which the province says is enough to relocate guests staying at Memorial Arena.

All three shelters will be managed by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) with operational support from Out of the Cold. Both are experienced in providing shelter housing in Kamloops.

The shelters are located at:

• 245 St. Paul St. (the gymnasium of the former Stuart Wood School) – approximately 25 beds expected to open in November or December 2021
• 600 Kingston Ave., also known as Moira House – 40 beds expected to open early 2022
• 725 Notre Dame Dr., also known as Merit Place (the former Greyhound bus depot) – approximately 50 beds expected to open early 2022

The province states once renovations to Merit Place are complete, it will provide the necessary space to relocate guests currently staying at Memorial Arena. The arena has been leased to BC Housing for 18 months and would be returned to the City of Kamloops for recreational use.

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“Providing shelter and support to our most vulnerable residents is the first step on a path to wellness,” Mayor Ken Christian stated. “Council has actively been pursuing better options than Memorial Arena and is excited to see this historic facility put back into recreational use, and to see those experiencing homelessness get a more appropriate temporary home as we continue to work with BC Housing to increase the supply of housing across the entire continuum in Kamloops.”

The use of Memorial Arena as a shelter for the street-affected population has been debated by Kamloops residents since the 2021 minor hockey season started. Kamloops Minor Hockey has urged the City of Kamloops to find alternative shelter space, but residents in Memorial Arena have found needed assistance in rebuilding their lives.

Elsewhere, the shelter at 245 St. Paul St. has been leased to BC Housing by the City of Kamloops, with support from Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc, until March 31, 2022.

At 600 Kingston Ave., construction will begin soon on a temporary shelter at the vacant site owned by the City of Kamloops. It has been leased to the B.C. government, through BC Housing, for three years with an option to extend for up to two additional years. When construction is complete, the shelter will be open around the clock, providing shelter beds for those who do not have a home.

“Shelters are much-needed safe spaces for the most vulnerable in our community,” CMHA Kamloops Executive Director Alfred Achoba said. “Individuals can thrive as they are connected to supports, case management, street nurses, client engagement specialists and many other multidisciplinary staff. They can gain meaningful skills to successfully reintegrate into our community, make cultural connections and be protected from sleeping outside.”

The province says it’s providing nearly $1.8 million toward construction of the Kingston shelter through the Homelessness Action Plan, and $1.8 million for CMHA to operate the site. The province says it’s also working on the operating and construction budgets for the other two sites.

According to the release, the City of Kamloops will conduct a land-use analysis and community consultation in the coming months.