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By Stephanie Swensrude

MAYOR ON SOCIAL ISSUES

“We will not give up”: Mayor Christian addresses recently highlighted social issues

Mar 28, 2022 | 2:36 PM

KAMLOOPS — Kamloops Mayor Ken Christian released a statement Monday (March 28) in response to some events over the past weekend that he said highlighted many social issues in the community.

The statement addresses the downtown McDonald’s announcing its closure, with the location citing open drug use and safety concerns among other issues. The mayor also made note of an overdose that took place in the public washroom of a popular department store.

Christian said that drug addiction, poverty and mental illness are health issues, not criminal issues.

He released an extensive list of actions from council that he said will assist with the problem.

The list included research, funding for RCMP and Community Service Officers, supporting the Car 40 program and lobbying for support for mental health and addictions from Interior Health and provincial and federal governments, along with three dozen other actions.

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Christian said the situation is “new and unsettling” and that the city is working with partner agencies to address what he calls a “complex combination of drug addiction, chronic untreated mental illness, and acquired brain injury.”

The statement can be found here.