With temperatures in Kamloops starting to dip more consistently as we make our way toward the winter months, the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Kamloops branch is hoping a recent funding request to expand one of its programs will be coming through quickly.
CMHA Kamloops has asked for financial help in restoring its Envision Shuttle Service to a 16 hour-a-day program.
“When we had the heat wave warning [this summer], we were able to change our hours to meet the demand,” noted CMHA Kamloops Executive Director Alfred Achoba. “But it is troubling when you have the winter season, where you could have a whole day where you are in the minus and negative [degree] weather, and where people’s lives are at risk. This is why we need that expansion.”
The Envision Shuttle program locates and transport those on the streets who are looking for shelter options.
“We’ve been seeing close to 40, 50 clients in a night,” said Achoba.
Envision had been operating as a 16 hour-a-day service until early this year, when funding through the federal government’s Reaching Home assistance program was cut in Kamloops and other communities across the country.
“That impacted many programs, Envision being one, and a few others,” noted Achoba. “Earlier in the year, with that cut, the City had — with other partners — facilitated a session trying to assess what programs need to stay, what programs we would see cutbacks on. Envision was identified as one of those programs that had to stay.”
The additional money would go toward the hiring of an additional full-time driver for the service.
While Achoba says their hope is to have the funding made available at least through the winter, he says their broader goal is to try to convince BC Housing to back the service on a full-time basis.
“We’re trying to lobby them to look at Envision as part of that continuum of housing, where we can get people from the streets transition into shelter, from shelter into housing,” argued Achoba. “One of the benefits we have with Envision is that we’re able to provide the City with real-time data about the number of people we’re seeing every night. We share that data with City. We’re happy to share it with BC Housing.”
The push to expand the Envision Shuttle Service comes as changes have been made this winter to the City of Kamloops’ Cold Weather Response Plans.
This winter, the Cold Weather Response will activate when temperatures are forecast for minus-5 or below for a 24 hour period.
That temperature benchmark goes up to zero if Environment Canada has a weather warning attached, such as a heavy snowfall warning.
Before policy changes were adopted earlier this year, the Cold Weather Response in Kamloops required temperatures below minus-10, or with at least 5 centimeters of snow in the forecast.
The changes come as shelter space in Kamloops is expected to be somewhat limited this winter.
The Mustard Seed will not be operating the Alliance Church as an emergency cold weather shelter this winter, which is expected to put additional pressure on shelter operators, who are being asked by the City to expand their intake at existing shelters when the Cold Weather Response is activated.
“Keep in mind, we’re not able to find shelter for close to 10% of those individuals [picked up through the Envision Shuttle Service], because our existing shelters are full,” noted Achoba.
There are currently no shelter beds operational in North Kamloops.
The City of Kamloops does expect a 44 bed temporary location, currently being set up at the former Butler RV site on Tranquille, should be operational before the end of the year.
