(Image Credit: Alya Van Laer)

By Sydney Chisholm

ubcm

Kamloops councillors raise shelters, drug supply at annual chinwag with provincial officials

Sep 17, 2024 | 5:30 PM

KAMLOOPS – Seven city councillors are representing Kamloops at this year’s Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) conference in Vancouver.

“It’s a really busy week but we’ve been really grateful to secure a number of ministry meetings and those have gotten started, as well as the sessions that are off to a great start,” said Councillor Katie Neustaeter.

“[We are] meeting other colleagues and talking about strategies they’re using for challenges in their communities and also encouraging one another as we do this work.”

The city sponsored four resolutions brought to the convention, addressing bullying and harrassment by elected officials, cold weather shelters, toxic drug supply and an issue regarding city dikes.

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However, Neustaeter says there is a lot going on behind the scenes to get the ball moving for Kamloops that might not show up in the official UBCM resolutions.

“Recommendations can be really productive, but they’re large in scope,” said Neustaeter. “These minister meetings are an opportunity for us specifically to say, ‘This is what Kamloops needs.’ We know that last year, that yielded significant results — the largest investment from housing from the province that’s ever happened within our municipality, and we hope for similar solutions to come forward. There was a lot of encouraging dialogue.”

The cities approach this week is to divide and conquer, with each councillor presenting to a different minister.

“We were talking about day space and our shelter beds in Kamloops and how we go into our cold weather shelters,” said Deputy Mayor Stephen Karpuk. “This morning, Councillor Bepple led us through our infrastructure, talking about transit with Minister Rob Fleming. I had the opportunity to present to Minister Cullen about our orphan dikes.”

Karpuk says 14 more meetings with ministers are planned for the next two days. However, with the provincial election coming up, nothing can be guaranteed until after voters hit the polls

“We didn’t get a lot of conclusive responses that this is what’s going to happen. I don’t expect that that’s going to change much,” he said. “But the best part is, we think we’ve got those conversations ongoing with (ministerial) staff and staff are probably still going to be there. And then whoever the minister is, hopefully we can carry on with that discussion and get to conclusion that the people of Kamloops will see.”

Also attending the UBCM conference was Kamloops Junior councillor Alya Van Laer.

The Grade 11 student has been shadowing Karpuk — Kamloops’ deputy mayor for September — and sitting in on meetings with ministers.

According to Van Laer, she’s already learned a lot in her first two days and has been turning many heads as one of the youngest representatives at the conference

“It’s good – a lot of, like, ‘What are you doing here?’ And I’ve been able to share the extent of which Kamloops goes to help kids into politics,” said Van Laer. “There’s a lot of cities that don’t have a junior council and I think it could be very beneficial, so I’m also pitching the idea to these different cities because I really think there’s kids out there who would love this. I know I do.”

The convention wraps up on Friday (Sept. 20), with delegates voting on recommendations to become resolutions that will be presented to the provincial government.