The operator of The Loop says the facility on Tranquille Road in Kamloops will be offering a storage and laundry services as of January 1, 2024.
Glenn Hilke tells Radio NL the service – which is similar to what is offered at 48 West Victoria Street downtown – will be available in North Kamloops seven days a week.
“There will be showers, laundry,” Hilke said. “We will have limited storage space and that is mostly be for the most important type of items that people do not want to lose so documents, ID, cellphones, anything that could fall out of a pocket or fall out of a bag or unfortunately get stolen.”
The Loop, which is located at 405 Tranquille Road, has not been without issue, most notably due to people gathering outside and complaints about drug use and garbage. The building was designated a nuisance property by the City of Kamloops in 2021.
That said, The Loop continues to offer “much needed” services in North Kamloops, an area Hilke says is under-serviced by social agencies. A notable instance was last winter when it offered people overnight shelter as temperatures dropped when other shelter spaces weren’t ready to open.
While the City of Kamloops is working on a North Shore Access Hub that will include some shelter spaces as well as a storage and laundry services, its not clear when that facility will open or where it’ll be located.
“We’re working hard at some options and trying to move something forward…and that is really all I can say at this time until a site is confirmed,” Social, Housing and Community Development Manager, Carmin Mazzotta told Councillor Dale Bass in September, when she said discussions have been underway “for years.”
“I would hope that we could lock something down fairly soon but it would be something where we would want to get in front of council and inform council as soon as a site can be secured and then inform the community with our leadership steering committee helping to lead that engagement.”
In April, Kelly Thomson, the former Managing Director of The Mustard Seed in Kamloops, said a year-round shelter on the North Shore was needed, pointing to how busy the extreme weather shelter at the Kamloops Alliance Church was last winter.
“Why it hasn’t happened over the course of the years it has been discussed, I have no idea,” Hilke said. “I would imagine it has to do with some conflict over location but in the meantime we are shouldering the burden of this growing community of people.”
“Call it what it is, its a survival space for people. We’re doing our part. We’re trying to keep people closely attached to our facility so that they’re just not spread all over town. But in the meantime, additional services on the North Shore are needed.”
