The City of Kamloops has reportedly slapped a nuisance property label on a property that houses The Loop drop-in centre.
The Loop coordinator Glenn Hilke says his organization will be appealing the new designation, for the property at 405A Tranquille Road. He says he was informed of the decision on a conference call with the property’s landlord and City of Kamloops staff.
“That’s where our organization, and its many projects reside – which is the Kamloops COVID Meal Train – The Loop Community Resource Centre and Drop-In Centre and so on – we’re appealing this because we know that we are not a nuisance business. We are a good neighbour business.”
Hilke says the nuisance property label comes from complaints in the community.
He says the city has asked The Loop to take in street-affected residents with extended hours, and that staff are doing its best. The expansion came after a $31,000-dollar federal grant was provided to The Loop.
Multiple businesses in the vicinity of The Loop have voiced concern with the operation.
Local business owner Joshua Knaak says at The Loop – there are issues with tents on sidewalks, open drug use and altercations, as well as neighbouring businesses being defecated and vandalized.
“And what’s frustrating to us, is there are social agencies that are in this area that are providing services. I’m right next door to one – we’ve had ASK Wellness, we’ve had the vending machine where they dispense items that people need and people use – and yet, we’re not having, and we’ve never had, those same issues (with ASK Wellness).”
Earlier today, the North Shore Business Improvement Association said it endorsed a funding arrangement for extending the hours at the The Loop, saying since then, six street-affected people have secured housing.
“Within any social project we endorse, we clearly identify that community interface must be a key component of how a service is operated. This is where the operations at 405 Tranquille have fallen short of expectations,” a joint letter from NSBIA executive director Jeremy Heighton and president Bryce Herman says. “At times, this area has seen upwards of 30 individuals on site. The consequence is that open drug use, exchange of goods, and social disruption is occurring with businesses and residents surrounding the area, when the group becomes larger than can be reasonably managed by volunteers.”
The statement goes on to say the NSBIA will continue to advocate for community outreach services that result in safe, secure outcomes. “However, we do not feel that this (The Loop) has achieved the goals we sought,” it says. “Therefore, we will be seeking alternate options to endorse, moving forward which will respond to the escalating street population issues.”
About the nuisance property designation, NL News reached out to Community Services Director Tammy Blundell early this afternoon but has not yet heard back.
