People living at an outdoor sheltering site in Kelowna’s north end are packing up and moving down the street, as bylaw starts a relocation process that will eventually reopen a section of the Rail Trail.
There will be two new locations for people moving from Tent City, including a temporary overnight space at 740 Weddell Place, and a transitional support site at 735 Weddell, where people experiencing homelessness can progress toward the goal of a permanent home.
Bylaw services supervisor Nick Bonnet, alongside a number of other bylaw officers, were on site April 29, talking with residents and helping them move locations. And, according to Bonnet, the move has been going well so far.
“There are only a couple of spots remaining, and we’ve been out here for a couple of hours already. We expect to be finished today,” said Bonnet, who thanked the partners involved in the move, including Kelowna Gospel Mission.
According to Bonnet, communication ahead of the move was critical, and it’s something bylaw has been doing since the beginning of April to help residents prepare.
“We’re able to build a good connection with people who use this space. A lot of face-to-face time and direct conversations. We’ve used letters and notices, partnering with the local not-for-profit sector and other partners to have that communication. It’s a lot of working together.”
The transitional support site has space for 35 residents, according to bylaw, and the plan is to fill each spot as soon as possible before starting the move for the temporary outdoor sheltering site.
A main reason for the move down the street from Tent City is to allow for the reopening of part of the Rail Trail, which has been partially closed off for months due to the encampment.
“Over the next couple of days, we’ll move over to the temporary overnight site, and then from there we can reassess the situation and create a schedule for the trail… Moving these two spaces will allow us to reopen the trail for public use,” said Bonnet.