Reid Hamer-Jackson can be seen on the streets of Kamloops helping people get into shelters (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Chad Klassen

SHELTER VISITS

Kamloops mayor to keep helping people get into shelter, despite being asked not to visit unannounced

Nov 17, 2022 | 2:21 PM

KAMLOOPS — For years, Reid Hamer-Jackson has been waking up early and walking the streets of Kamloops — all in the name of helping people get into shelters.

“I’m trying to get people off the streets from freezing to death,” said Hamer-Jackson.

A couple weeks after becoming the city’s mayor, Hamer-Jackson is being told by BC Housing to stop visiting shelters and supportive housing units unannounced.

On Sunday (Nov. 13), Hamer-Jackson and a couple city councillors tried to get a homeless person into Moira House.

CFJC-TV

Kamloops born-and-raised Dylana Kneeshaw to succeed Bill O'Donovan as CFJC-TV lead anchor

9h ago

TWO & OUT

PETERS: Boyle's supportive housing move is data-driven decision-making gone wrong

14h ago

Looped In

LOOPED IN WITH NIKKI OMEN: December 11, 2025

Dec 11, 2025

Hamer-Jackson knows about a letter going around, but hasn’t physically received it.

“Apparently the letter’s being distributed and there have been emails about it to our city staff,” he noted.

BC Housing sent a statement to CFJC Today, saying that “operators have established processes to support visits to these sites but are unable to accommodate unannounced visits given how disruptive they are to the privacy of shelter guests and to frontline staff who are stretched and working in very challenging circumstances.”

BC Housing went on to say people can arrange visits ahead of time through the operator or BC Housing itself.

BC Housing also wanted to clarify its intentions, telling CFJC Today “we know there are rumours of a cease and desist order, but we are not contemplating that. The rumours are false.”

Whatever comes from BC Housing, it’s not going to prevent Hamer-Jackson from helping people.

“I can’t stop from getting people out of the cold. How do you stop when someone’s laying on the sidewalk freezing to death? How do you stop from asking?” he said. “The other [non-CMHA] shelters are great. I’ve went into the Mustard Seed and Out of the Cold, the Yacht Club and Stuart Wood, and they’ve been great. As a matter of fact this morning, when I left there, the guy from The Mustard Seed said ‘Reid, by the way, we appreciate you helping.'”

Hamer-Jackson also wants to prevent from happened last winter when well-known street person Sammy passed away in the cold.

“If the lady, I understand her name is Laura Matthews [from BC Housing], I’d love her to come up to Kamloops and I’ll show her what’s going on. I talked with David Eby yesterday and I told him the situation. He asked me if I wanted him to do something and I said ‘No, that’s okay. I haven’t even got the letter yet, so we’ll let it play out and see what happens.'”

The Canadian Mental Health Association declined to comment to CFJC Today.