PETERS: The good, the bad and the ugly of the Pathways meeting

Whatever lawyer or ex-lawyer or chatbot who told the mayor he was clear to help determine the direction of Pathways was simply telling their client exactly what he wants to hear.

There is no way a plaintiff who is suing another person for defamation should be able to have a hand in deciding whether that person can make a living or not.

The legal exposure this presents to the citizens and taxpayers of Kamloops is tremendous and there’s nothing wrong with council and staff doing everything necessary to protect those taxpayers.

Putting that aside, this week’s public meeting about Pathways was one of those, ‘Why can’t we all just get along?’ evenings.

Everyone in the room really wanted the same thing – for those experiencing homelessness to access the services they need and for businesses and residents in the area to be safe.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who have been convinced they have to pick one or the other and can’t demand both.

Even so, the meeting was largely successful, allowing participants to express a variety of viewpoints – positive, negative and nuanced.

While the majority spoke in favour of Pathways’ individual and broader impacts, those expressing frustration around community safety and property damage have every right to their thoughts and opinions, as well.

It’s a good thing there was a BC Housing representative in the room for the meeting, because the province can never claim those concerns weren’t heard, loud and clear.

When it comes to Pathways, the city is responsible for approving the land use and for public safety direction through the Community Services Officers and the local RCMP – who spoke in favour of the facility.

But the province is responsible for providing health and housing services through its contractor, ASK Wellness – and if the province promises full wrap-around services, it needs to provide them.

Like with a lot of promises the province has made in the past few years, it appears not to have the resources, the organization or the will to carry them forward.

And while another 20 months at this location was celebrated as time to come up with a successful long-term solution, one would have to be wearing the rosiest-colured glasses to foresee that.

——

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.

by James Peters

PETERS: The good, the bad and the ugly of the Pathways meeting

Our Community