
The Butler Auto and RV building before it was renovated/via Victor Kaisar
A much-discussed shelter on the Kamloops north shore is going to be closely watched by both internal and external forces to try to ensure it does not become a magnet for problems.
The 44 bed shelter at the site of the former Butler Auto & RV site at the south end of Tranquille officially opened its doors on Monday, January 27, 2025.
Known as Pathways, the site a 142 Tranquille, at the southern end of the Tranquille corridor, is the initial incarnation of what’s been discussed the last couple of years as the North Shore Access Hub.
According to those directly involved in the process, the goal is to get people “triaged,” giving them a roof over their heads.
Those who want to go down a path toward recovery are going to be given priority for spaces.
At the same time, operator ASK Wellness is providing its own staff to try to ensure the area does not become over run with people and problems, suggesting the organization is attempting to chart a different course with Pathways.

Picture of a mural on the wall of the Pathways shelter operation on Tranquille/via ASK Wellness
“We’ve got a few things we are doing. One is our community liaison position, which will work from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m,” noted the director of Outreach and Clinical Support at Pathways, Jeremy Cain, in conversation with Radio NL.
“We have our outreach team that’s integrated with CSO officers, and I know [the CSO’s have] committed to doing six patrols overnight to make sure that folks aren’t congregating in areas they shouldn’t be,” added Cain.
The shelter was initially scheduled to open in December, but was delayed in order to complete the necessary renovations.
Cain says while they do intend to keep as many people as they can from sleeping outdoors, the goal is to try to get people who register for the service to dry out, then eventually find a place for them in transitional housing.
“It’s not just to house people or to warehouse people, its to move people forward in a positive and proactive manner,” said Jeremy Heighton, Executive Director of the North Shore Business Improvement Association.
“I suspect what’s going to happen initially is we’re going to look at people who are currently street-entrenched… on our streets, in our business districts.”

Amenities available for those who register at Pathways/via BC Housing
The site itself provides medical, psychological and other services, with the goal of giving folks a clean place to sober up and if they choose — the next steps toward a broader recovery.
Cain says one of their priorities is ensuring community engagement and safety.
“I think it’s more important what we do than what we say in this instance,” he said. “I think for a lot of folks, they’re going to have to see it actually running and have people in it before they have confidence in what we’re able to do.”
That’s a position backed up by Heighton as well, who says they know of the challenges they are likely to face.
“We are, again, focused on insuring that the community is taken care of,” said Heighton. “To that extent, we’ve distributed communication. Our CAP Team is on the corridor. We’re working closely with RCMP and CSO’s to ensure that community entrenchment does not occur… like big encampments or those types of things.”
With the delay in getting Pathways operational, there’s roughly 1.5 years of life left in the location before it’s expected to be closed down and moved elsewhere.
The site’s owner, ARPA Investments, leased the former Butler Auto and RV site to BC Housing for 20 months.
Owner Joshua Knaak told Radio NL at the time that the idea was to give the City some leeway as it worked on finding a permanent home for the Access Hub.
A Temporary Use Permit was approved by City Council in late November.
That will expire in July, 2026.
Knaak says he intends to redevelop the former Butler site into a mixed use residential/commercial property once Pathways clears out.
–With files from Paul James