A empty property fronted by a sidewalk.
The new shelter will be built at 1298 River Street, just down the road from the Kamloops yacht club building. (LEVI LANDRY / iNFOnews.ca)

New riverfront homeless shelter planned for Kamloops

Kamloops is getting a new homeless shelter near downtown.

Once built, the 56-bed shelter will be next door to the Yacht Club that’s been used as winter shelter in recent years. 

No timeline has been set and BC Housing couldn’t provide details on the plan. City councillors would not comment and Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson said he wasn’t aware of the shelter when asked by iNFOnews.ca.

While plans are in the works to put a modular shelter on what’s currently an empty lot, it comes as two shelters are expected to close this spring.

READ MORE: Kamloops council concerned about lost tax revenue on BC Housing projects

Out of the Cold’s shelter at the former Stuart Wood School and Merit Place at the former Greyhound Station are each poised to close in a couple months as their leases expire. Whether BC Housing and other organizations are planning to extend those leases or find new space isn’t clear.

The 1298 River Street property set to host the new modular shelter was once the site of a youth shelter several years ago, hosted in a repurposed home. The home was later demolished, but the property remained under BC Housing ownership.

Whether this new shelter will target a specific demographic or if it means the yacht club building is no longer needed for winter shelter needs isn’t clear.

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Levi Landry

Levi is a recent graduate of the Communications, Culture, & Journalism program at Okanagan College and is now based in Kamloops. After living in the BC for over four years, he finds the blue collar and neighbourly environment in the Thompson reminds him of home in Saskatchewan. Levi, who has previously been published in Kelowna’s Daily Courier, is passionate about stories focussed on both social issues and peoples’ experiences in their local community. If you have a story or tips to share, you can reach Levi at 250 819 3723 or email LLandry@infonews.ca.

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