The Operator of The Loop is taking aim at the City of Kamloops and the provincial government, saying neither has been prepared for the current cold snap.

Glenn Hilke says his North Shore facility stayed open overnight as a shelter, providing space for around 15 people, telling Radio NL that all other shelters in Kamloops were full last night.

“This is not how it is supposed to be, and the stress that it is causing people is just terrible,” Hilke said. “We said they could go to The Loop, we would pick them up there and bring them to the Alliance Church to have a bed and a warm place to sleep… Well, that turned out to be a lie.”

Hilke says the move to open The Loop as an overnight shelter came after a conversation with Kamloops Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson.

“So [Hamer-Jackson] finally made a call to the person responsible at the City for emergency weather and then got back to me and said ‘The Loop has now been given permission to open up. Do you have the staff to do it?’ and I’m like ‘Jesus, it’s midnight,'” Hilke said.

The Loop is not registered as a shelter, and is only supposed to operate as a day space. Earlier this month, it also began offering storage and laundry services for people who are homeless in Kamloops, similar to a service offered at 48 West Victoria Street downtown.

Hilke says people who are homeless who would normally be reluctant to go to a shelter are showing up due to the extreme cold, putting shelters in Kamloops well over capacity.

“We have to treat our fellow human beings – homeless, addicted or whatever – with some dignity and with some care,” Hilke said. “The SPCA treats dogs better than we are treating the homeless community.”

Hilke is calling on the City of Kamloops to open up more civic facilities to accommodate the influx of people seeking shelter.