Pathways, a new 44-bed shelter and access hub on the North Shore, will soon open its doors to people in need.

“I think that this has really been the missing part for the North Shore,” said Bob Hughes, executive officer for ASK Wellness Society, which will be in charge of on-site operations.

He said the team is excited to welcome the first guests to 142 Tranquille Rd., what he says is a unique team-based shelter model, the first of its kind. However, he said they are also nervous as they aim to deliver it well.

“We need to do this right, and we need to show that this is the right service in this neighbourhood,” Hughes said.

The 24/7 shelter is opening on Monday at the former site of Butler Auto and RV. In late November, Kamloops council issued a temporary use permit allowing the shelter to operate for a 20-month period.

Since then, tradespeople coordinated by development firm and landowner Arpa Investments worked hard on renovations. Arpa partner Parmjit Mahal said there were about 70 people helping to transform the site.

“This is the culmination of seven weeks of rapid-fire renovation and kind of innovation, frankly,” Hughes said, adding the site had been filled with equipment and parts, with no power in the building.

“I think we can confidently say this is one of the fastest conversions of a different purpose building to create what is now 44 beds for the community on the North Shore.”

BC Housing is leasing the Tranquille Road property from Arpa Investments for an undisclosed sum. Arpa has plans to redevelop the property in a couple of years.

Amenities, patrols prepared

The site includes amenity spaces, laundry and storage facilities, and security upgrades. There are 22 beds for men, 12 for women, and eight separate pods for people who are more independent and ready to transition into housing.

A colourful mural painted by artist Kelly Wright decorates a wall beside the beds.

A food truck will cook up meals for people three times per day. There’s office space at the front, which will provide areas for guests to be connected with healthcare resources and other supports.

“We’ve heard commitment from Interior Health to provide additional resources. We're very fortunate in that we've got some real pathways to wellness that we're able to provide here, including nursing as well as our mobile health clinic will be on site,” Hughes said.

He said teams of people, including peer workers, will be doing three neighbourhood patrols per day, checking for drug paraphernalia or people setting up camp. RCMP and CSOs will also be conducting sweeps.

Hughes said he heard an “understandable level of concern and fear” from nearby businesses and residents about the shelter, and he understands that addressing neighbourhood impact is an important part of their work.

"This will have an impact, and we have to mitigate it, and we have to be open to address issues that are within our mandate and our control, and if they're not, then we need to find out how to resolve them with our partners.”

The shelter’s operating model was developed with the help of multiple groups making up the Access Hub Leadership Committee.

'A really urgent need'

Tangie Genshorek, Access Hub team member, A Way Home Kamloops executive director and North Shore resident, said the committee has been working for “literally years” to establish a shelter on the north shore.

“It’s amazing, and it's relieving,” Genshorek said.

“It's a really urgent need. There are real safety concerns for our folks who are out on the street. We need a variety of supports. We need a continuum of supports — and this is one of the key pieces of that.”

The shelter will open through a gradual entry process, and a coordinator has already identified the first group of 25 people who will be moving in.

They are focused on supporting those in the North Shore neighbourhood. Hughes said people camping have been waiting for the building to open.

“This is a North Shore shelter, the only one of its kind. And so there's many folks that call the North Shore home, and even though they don’t have a home in the neighbourhood, this is where they want to be,” Hughes said.

“[I] really fully subscribe to the fact that people shouldn't have to be shipped away [from the North Shore to downtown] to be able to be provided with some of those basic services in the community.”