Ayesha Mosque aiming to relocate within Kamloops city limits, become closer with community

KAMLOOPS — Knutsford has been home for nearly 14 years, but the Kamloops Islamic Association (KIA) is looking to relocate Ayesha Mosque within city limits.

Relocation discussions have been on and off for nearly a decade, as the common question of, “Why is the mosque out of town?” came from an influx of Muslim students at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) beginning in 2009.

KIA had a delegation during Tuesday’s (Feb. 23) council meeting to highlight their desire to move within the city and hopefully gain some momentum.

“The mosque doesn’t want to move to the city just for the sake of [it],” KIA Director Umme Mansoory said. “We hope to be able to be part of the broader Kamloops community through community outreach and being able to partner with our interfaith community. In Knutsford, we’re very limited in the community outreach we can do and the humanitarian efforts we can provide.”

The group highlighted some of their current activities to council, such as its involvement with TRU and Interfaith Kamloops, donations to local charities, its Syrian refugee sponsorship and 2017 wildfire impact support. According to KIA, Kamloops currently has 87 Muslim families compared to 34 prior to 2007, not including TRU students.

Ayesha Mosque is a residential structure on a plot of land in Knutsford that’s not serviced by municipal services such as water and sewage. The mosque is always on a boil water advisory, which Mansoory said makes it difficult for KIA to sustain programming. Along with service issues, she said the mosque being in Knutsford makes it inaccessible to members who walk and take transit.

Criteria for the mosque’s new location within city limits includes a minimum 70 parking stalls and being accessible on a transit route and within proximity to TRU. Mansoory said there have been a few properties that have met KIA’s criteria over the years but, due to being unavailable or the owner not accepting their offer, she said the fit hasn’t worked out.

“Especially if we find a property that meets our needs exactly, and it doesn’t work out, it can be disheartening,” Mansoory said. “We’re not necessarily looking for new land; we’re open to ideas. We’re not saying we need to move by April 2022 or anything like that. We’re a community of faith and we believe that when the time is right, God will facilitate something for us. Not trying to rush it, but it is something our community desperately needs right now.”

Anyone interested in assisting KIA find a new location can contact their website.

Mayor Ken Christian said Kamloops council and staff would welcome the mosque within city limits. He said KIA would have to find a location with the proper zoning. If not, they’d need to rezone it and have a public hearing regarding the site.