Kamloops Curling Club now home to an emergency homeless shelter

KAMLOOPS — The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed a potential problem for shelters across Canada. As health guidelines limit the number of people who can gather in a space, communities run the risk of losing spots for people experiencing homelessness.

The Kamloops branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is helping to solve that problem, as it prepares to open up a new emergency shelter in the Kamloops Curling Club.

The Kamloops Curling Club should be getting ready to host the B.C. Curling provincial championship. But instead, contractors, volunteers and CMHA staff are putting the finishing touches on a 50-bed emergency shelter meant to address a need created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is a result of us decanting the homeless shelters in town,” CMHA Kamloops Interim Executive Director Alfred Achoba explains. “In order to make room for the vulnerable population, we had to make room for an emergency response centre.”

The city is set to experience some colder weather in the coming days. The Kamloops Curling Club Shelter is meant to ensure no one seeking a bed will be turned away because of COVID-19 capacity rules.

“We’re still going to triage through Emerald Centre,” Achoba says. “The idea is to bring individuals with low to moderate needs into this building. The goal is to make sure no one sleeps outside and they have a warm place to stay.”

City councillor Mike O’Reilly toured the shelter earlier in the day and is pleased with what he saw.

“What I saw when I walked in was that it’s safe and secure,” O’Reilly says. “That’s what people are needing. Especially when you go from sleeping on a sidewalk, an alcove, the steps of Stuart Wood (Elementary School).”

There are washroom and laundry facilities on site for clients. As well, Achoba says there will be a number of other services available.

“We will have meals here, we’ll have on-site support. We’ll have case management towards housing,” Achoba explains. “We have support from Interior Health and many other social agencies will be here to support the clients.”

O’Reilly says shelters like this are necessary, especially during the pandemic. However, he’s concerned about the folks accessing these services once the funding runs out.

“We know these beds are needed long-term and we want to know what the next steps are,” O’Reilly says. “Once the lease is up on this space, where are these people going to go? That’s what we’re concerned with at this point.”