Decision to close McDonald's in downtown Kamloops two years in the making
The downtown McDonald's location in Kamloops has shut its doors after dealing with increasing social issues and declining foot traffic.
Owner-operator of the Kamloops and Merritt McDonald's franchises, Brandy Gozda-Sekhon, said the downtown location will keep its doors shut permanently, as of this past weekend.
"We've had security in the past month to offset fears of employees and guests," she said. "But I think it's been in back of our mind over the last few years."
A video taken within the downtown restaurant was published by Kamloops This Week, showed a patron vandalizing the building and yelling at staff. Gozda-Sekhon said that incident took place "a month ago" and while it may have made employees feel unsafe, it wasn't necessarily the final straw.
Instead, the combination of a decline in foot traffic and what appears to be a worsening situation for social issues in Kamloops, both exasperated by the COVID-19 pandemic, slowly led to her decide to shut it down.
"This isn't an isolated issue. This isn't something that came up overnight," Gozda-Sekhon said. "There's hundreds of businesses in town that need help as well. We all want Kamloops to be a great place."
When asked what a business owner needs from police and the City, she said the keys are "awareness and action."
Kamloops RCMP have not been quick to respond to the restaurant when a dangerous or potentially criminal situation arises, she said.
"The RCMP has been trying their best for us, but we know we can't always get help when we need it," she said.
News of the McDonald's location closing prompted a response from mayor Ken Christian today, March 28. He acknowledged that the announcement came due, in part, to open drug use and safety concerns at the restaurant.
"While this happened here, in our home, unfortunately these things are occurring throughout the province and across the country. The drug supply in B.C. is toxic, and Kamloops is no exception. Sadly, persons addicted to drugs are dying at an alarming rate, and last month, Kamloops had the third highest number in the province," Christian said in a written statement.
He listed dozens of priorities and actions the City of Kamloops has taken to address property crime and the worsening overdose crisis.
"In addition, I support both the decriminalization of personal possession and the provision of a safe supply, and I am working weekly with the B.C. Urban Mayor’s Caucus; yet sadly, conditions continue to deteriorate," Christian said.
"The things we are experiencing are new to Kamloops and are unsettling, but they are evident throughout B.C. ... We are always open to trying new ideas, and I would invite you to assist us in that regard should there be other approaches we may have missed."
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