
The groundbreaking ceremony for The Confluence at 346 Campbell Avenue (Photo via City of Kamloops)
Construction on a new six-storey, 80 unit housing building for seniors and low to moderate income families at 346 Campbell Avenue in North Kamloops is officially getting underway.
The building – which will be called The Confluence – will be operated by the ASK Wellness Society, in partnership with BC Housing and the City of Kamloops, and include a mix of one, two, and three bedroom units.
“This is not supportive housing, this is affordable housing in its truest sense,” Hughes told Radio NL. “This is for folks that are able to live fully independently.”
“We’ll have a building manager and maintenance on board but there is no embedded support services. You know at 80 units, six storeys, this is a really big contribution to the North Shore and the community”
Hughes says 25 of the units will be one bedroom, with the other 55 either two or three bedroom units.
“We envision having families being able to stay together with you know the grandparents potentially being in the one bedroom and families in the two and three bedroom units,” Hughes said, noting ASK Wellness aims to foster a supportive, community environment for residents in the building.
“That intergenerational community is something that we proposed in our original application to the province and that has manifested.”
Hughes says ASK Wellness expects to begin taking applications from prospective tenants in about 12 to 14 months.
“What we found is if we start really early, people they change where they live, their circumstances change, incomes changes, so it really doesn’t make sense to basically put our sign out the door yet,” he said.
The Campbell Avenue property – along with the adjacent Tranquille Road property that housed the former Northbridge Hotel – was bought by the City of Kamloops for $7.1 million in October 2021. The City then sold the Campbell Avenue property to BC Housing for $3.8 million, paving the way for this development.
“As we break ground on this new development, we’re not just laying bricks and mortar, we’re building hope and opportunity,” Kamloops’ Deputy Mayor for June, Katie Neustaeter said, in a statement. “These 80 affordable rental homes represent more than just a place to live, they’re a symbol of commitment to our seniors and families and to our North Shore community overall.”
In a statement, ASK Wellness says the name of the building signifies “the building’s aim to bring together a diverse range of seniors and families, while also paying tribute to the Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc lands and rivers.”
“The Confluence is designed to offer safe, comfortable, and affordable housing options, with a focus on fostering a supportive and intergenerational community environment,” the statement said.
“Today’s event will celebrate the beginning of construction on The Confluence and highlight the positive impact this development will have on the North Shore community, as we start to bring this vision to life.”