City staff looked to use a provincially owned property at 561 Columbia Street in the fall of 2021, but B.C. Housing said it needed extensive renovations.

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B.C. Housing could not use a property owned by the province in Kamloops for an emergency shelter because of renovation needs.

Facing a need for more emergency shelter space ahead of winter, Kamloops city staff asked B.C. Housing in October to explore the possibility of leasing a property belonging to the provincial government.

"Last fall, B.C. Housing looked into using the Columbia site as a potential winter shelter location; however, due to extensive renovations and cost required to bring the building to a livable standard, it did not meet the timelines for winter shelter housing," a B.C. Housing spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

The Columbia Precinct Lands is a property owned by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. Located on the corner of Columbia Street and 6 Avenue, city staff understood the property to be vacant and identified it as a possible location for a new shelter in early October.

It was one of four properties eyed for new shelter locations in Kamloops, as directed by council in a closed meeting on Oct. 19.

READ MORE: B.C. finally has a plan for the most difficult people to house in Kamloops and Kelowna

Other locations considered included Stuart Wood Elementary, the former Greyhound bus station on Notre Dame Drive and the Kamloops Yacht Club on River Street.

Stuart Wood Elementary and the former Greyhound station were both eventually chosen for new shelters, with the latter requiring renovations and is not expected to be open until the end of March.

Through a freedom of information request, iNFOnews.ca learned that city staff were looking to the yacht club and Columbia street property at least on Oct. 9, and B.C. Housing was also looking at the Columbia Street property, according to partially redacted emails from city staff.

City staff also determined the yacht club was "too small and not worth pursuing" for a shelter location.

iNFOnews.ca asked the Ministry of Transportation for comment on the Columbia Street property, but that request was forwarded to B.C. Housing.

In the partially redacted emails obtained by iNFOnews.ca, city staff were preparing for Kamloops Minor Hockey Association members to either protest or speak at a city council as they opposed the continued use of Memorial Arena as an emergency shelter.

READ MORE: Supportive housing, complex care priority for Kamloops

Canadian Mental Health Association, which operates the Memorial Arena shelter, alerted city staff to the potential protest.

The hockey association was one of multiple user groups that were unable to use the Memorial Arena due to its shelter use. The city had extended B.C. Housing's lease on the property indefinitely as the provincial housing organization was directed to seek another site in Kamloops for future use.

The 50-bed Greyhound shelter location, dubbed Merit Place, is expected to be open by the end of next month. It's planned to replace the Memorial Arena shelter.

Vancouver realtor Peter Seed was looking to sell or lease the Notre Dame Drive property on behalf of its owners. He told iNFOnews.ca ahead of the shelter announcement that the property is in "terrible condition," but he had no knowledge of a B.C. Housing lease at the time.

Near Halston Bridge, the modular housing shelter space called Moira House is also planned to be open before the end of March.

Moira House will sit on a city-owned property on Kingston Avenue, which was an empty lot before the modular housing development began.

READ MORE: New Kamloops shelters to be ready in time for 'dry floor season' at Memorial Arena

Aside from shelter locations, the B.C. government is developing its plan to better address homelessness in the province.

Attorney General and Housing Minister David Eby told Kamloops city council on Jan. 26 that the province is planning to better address homelessness at its roots, rather than having a reactive approach.

As for the so-called harder to house individuals, who Eby said can make up roughly 15% to 20% of people in supportive housing settings, health authorities have been tasked to come up with complex care solutions.

Four pilot project facilities for complex care have opened in the Lower Mainland, and Interior Health is now looking for locations in both Kamloops and Kelowna to do the same.

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