
(Editor’s note: While the events described in this article did not take place in the Discovery Islands, the Directors for Cortes Island and Area C both voted in the SRD Board meeting mentioned below. Also, we are part of the ‘District’ that the Campbell River and District Coalition to End Homelessness operates in.)
Last week, the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) Board decided to step back from involving themselves in Campbell River’s emergency shelter. They were responding to a request from the Campbell River and District Coalition to End Homelessness. The Board considered two options: (A) they could give staff direction to explore what this would entail, or (B) they could inform the Coalition they are not prepared to take on the responsibility of operating homeless shelters. After 42 minutes of a somewhat confused debate that ended in a 7-7 vote, they chose option (B).
Cortes Currents reached out to the Coalition for comment while writing up an account of the meeting, but neither Stefanie Hendrickson, the Coalition’s Coordinator, or Sue Moen, from the Salvation Army, were available until the afternoon of Monday, November 14, 2022. Both women responded by email.
Moen pointed out, ‘There seemed to be a gap in understanding of jurisdiction and definitions’ at the SRD Board meeting.’
“The Community Centre was used for ten days in 2021 and again for one night this year (November 8) under a provincially stated weather emergency and therefore was the mandate of Emergency Management in BC via Emergency Services at the SRD. All communities would have access to that funding whatever the emergency if it is declared by the province. The reason Campbell River got a ‘ticket’ was because we do not have an extreme weather shelter in operation,” she wrote.
“Extreme weather shelters are funded by BC Housing and operate between November 1st and March 31st in communities where there are not enough shelter beds to address the needs of unhoused individuals.”
Hendrickson added, “The current state of homelessness and sector capacity (both capacity of space and capacity of staff) means that a non-profit, ad-hoc approach to winter shelters is no longer possible or sustainable.”
Consequently, on October 25, 2022, the Coalition requested that the SRD ‘consider becoming the Operator in Campbell River as a starting point to develop systems and expertise for any community in the region that needs to open a temporary shelter.’
During the subsequent November 9 SRD meeting, Campbell River Mayor Kermit Dahl informed the Board, “We are being told there are 130 people using the (Community Centre) facility a night.”
Moen wrote that this is incorrect, “In Campbell River, we have a known population of 130 people experiencing homelessness. This is the number that Director Dahl referred to, but only a fraction of them use the 48 (bed) emergency shelter, or the 6 – 20 extreme weather shelter beds. In 2021, when the province declared an emergency in December, 39 people accessed the community centre.”
There was also some confusion as to whether the Coalition could apply to BC Housing for funding.
Campbell River Director Ron Kerr told the Board, “I thought that the community actually was moving ahead on finding a facility and staffing it, up to the time that we were approached.”
Mayor Dahl added, “I’m not saying it’s Regional District’s job to do this, but the Campbell River Coalition to End Homelessness has members from the SRD and the city, and I think that it should be the Campbell River Coalition to End Homelessness applying for the funds, if the BC Housing has the funds there to provide this service.”
At that meeting Renee LaBoucane, SRD manager of Strategic Initiatives, informed the Board that the Coalition could not sign a contract with BC Housing because they are a coalition and not a legal entity.
Moen reiterated this, “As Ms. LaBoucane explained, the Coalition is not a legal entity with a Board of Directors so is unable to enter into any contracts. This was the ask of the SRD, and now City – that they become the “Operator” in the sense of signing the contract and managing the coordination of partner agencies. The partner agencies would recruit, train and supervise staff; we would work with Operator to secure a facility and the agencies would provide the day to day operational requirements. The Operator would hold and manage funds, and the accounting requirements.”
She claimed the city of Campbell River has participated in Coalition meetings for the past three years.
Cortes Currents quickly verified this by clicking on the Coalition’s minutes from the April 18, 2019, and reading two entries about ‘Cleo from the City of CR.’ There are numerous ‘city updates’ in subsequent minutes. The names of several city staff, as well as former city Councilors Colleen Evans and Claire Moglove are frequently listed among the attendees. Former Mayor Andy Adams went to at least two meetings.
“The Coalition has always tried to keep an open line of communication between the City of CR at both the staff and council level. We have sent multiple letters encouraging collaboration, open channels of communication, and planning,” wrote Hendrickson.
“While we have always maintained positive relationships with City staff and kept them informed about emerging concerns, we have not yet had any formal engagement from the council level. We will continue to request engagement from the new Mayor and Council and look forward to building collaborative relationships.”
Moen explained that the Salvation Army operated extreme weather shelters, with between 6 and twelve beds, for most of the past dozen years or so.
“The Salvation Army no longer has an appropriate facility space to operate the extreme weather shelter, nor does any other housing/social service agency in Campbell River have physical space.”
In 2021, the Coalition attempted to open a facility with BC Housing funding. When they were not able to hire enough staff to keep open, the Coalition sent a letter to council asking for permission to put up a warming tent at Nunn’s Creek.
“The City gave us permission but placed the condition that we must have security on site. BC Housing will not fund an outdoor response, so the Coalition/community did not have the funds necessary to provide that requirement,” stated Moen.
“The SRD and City, and other entities and agencies met with the Red Cross in the summer to develop a regional response to all extreme weather and I believe the first report on that is close. We approached the SRD first with this request because the staff were receptive and available. The SRD also already has a service under the Community Health Network that this issue fits with, so it seemed prudent to start there.”
(Shaun Koopman, SRD Emergency Services Coordinator, starts appearing in the Coalition’s minutes after the September 2, 2021, meeting.)
Q/What will the Campbell River Coalition to End Homelessness do now that the SRD Board has turned them down?
“We will approach the City again and hopefully they will allow time beyond the 5 minute delegation limit so we can explain the history, the specifics of what they are being asked to do and the community and Coalition’s capacity to work with them. The Coalition does not provide any services or programming, our role is to facilitate and promote getting the right people to the table to create solutions,” wrote Moen.
“We are participating in the project currently underway to develop a community wide response to any/all extreme weather, but as the CAO mentioned, this will take time and will address the future. Campbell River needs an extreme weather response now to serve those people experiencing homelessness that are at increased risk because of winter weather conditions. The Coalition has been working on coordinating a response since August but we don’t have the capacity to cement all the pieces in place and believe that only a government body has that capacity to ensure a sustainable on ongoing response.”
Top image credit: November 8, 2022 announcement that the Campbell River Community Centre will be used as an extreme weather shelter – courtesy City of Campbell River Facebook page
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