(File photo: CFJC Today).
COMMUNITY CLEAN UP

NSBIA, ASK Wellness explore partnering to clean up the North Shore

Sep 17, 2022 | 1:06 PM

KAMLOOPS —A number of local organizations are pitching a North Shore Clean Team to Kamloops city council on Tuesday (Sept. 20). ASK Wellness, the North Shore Business Improvement Association, WorkBC, and Open Door Group will employ people with experience living on the streets. The pilot project would have them cleaning needles, graffiti, litter and feces from the streets of the North Shore.

“The Clean Team will employ residents with lived experience that are building their employability and working towards a more secure lifestyle, including long term housing,” said the report to council.

The residents will be trained in how to properly dispose of waste and sharps and the City will manage the waste once it is collected.

“The Clean Team pilot involving residents with lived experience trying to improve their housing and employment skills would not only add value for the Clean Team, but also for businesses that are struggling to keep up with the clean up of their surrounding streets to ensure their doors stay open,” reads the report.

“It adds a sense of community between the business owners and managers, their staff, and Clean Team employees that is vital to community recovery and connection. Additionally, the multi-agency collaboration opens doors to other potential solutions to the social issues facing municipalities.”

The project will mostly be funded by an existing ASK Wellness grant. The City will fund about $4000 in cleaning supplies and donate two trucks near the end of their service life worth $5000 each to the project. The proposed service agreement amount is about $30,000, funded from a grant.

If the pilot is successful, the involved organizations would work together to find a way to fund the project long term.

If it’s approved, the 20-week pilot project could start “as soon as possible”, according to the report.