(Image credit: CFJC Today/File photo).

By Mel Rothenburger

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: Mustard Seed’s approach to shelter is a lesson on consultation

Dec 14, 2022 | 4:34 AM

A LESSON IN COMMUNICATION played out in City council chambers Tuesday afternoon.

It was the regular weekly meeting of Kamloops City council with the usual agenda, which included a section for delegations.

One of those delegations was from the Mustard Seed social agency, which will open an extreme-weather shelter at the Kamloops Alliance Church beginning tonight. That is, it will open between 10 p.m. and 7:30 a.m. when the temperature dips to 10 below and/or there’s five cm. of snow. Or a severe-weather warning.

If the temperature threshold isn’t met tonight, it certainly will be over the next while.

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The project is being done in a unique partnership with the church and with funding support from BC Housing.

Mustard Seed managing director Kelly Thomson described the consultation process the agency used to alert neighbouring residents and businesses to plans for the shelter.

That process was extensive, including several open houses, letters to residents in the area, visits with business owners and an online survey. While some of the feedback was positive, some wasn’t.

There were, of course, the usual concerns about safety and security. In response, the Mustard Seed will have security patrols around the church neighbourhood during the hours the shelter is in operation.

The approach taken to community need and to consultation received universal praise from members of council and it was well deserved. The Mustard Seed experience shows that when people are asked what they think, and are listened to, good things can get done.

So, what if BC Housing and the City were to apply the Mustard Seed’s template to future social housing projects? Instead of quietly making decisions about those projects and then springing them on neighbourhoods, what if they sought buy-in beforehand and acted on recommendations from the community?

That could offer a whole lot of reassurance to those neighbourhoods that their interests are being looked after along with those served by shelters and supportive housing.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

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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.