City councillor and business owner Loyal Wooldridge says 'RCMP Safe Place' program is a step in the right direction

Photo: Amandalina Letterio

An RCMP Safe Space sticker to the right of the front door of Loyal's Hair Salon

City councillor and owner of Loyal's Hair Salon, Loyal Wooldridge thinks the Kelowna RCMP is taking a step in the right direction with its, 'RCMP Safe Place' signs.

The Kelowna RCMP rolled out the program on Monday, but it wasn't well received by the LGBTQ community who felt they should have been included in the initiative.

Wooldridge is one of the first Kelowna business owners to proudly place a 'Safe Place' sign in his window.

"Speaking to my own organization, inclusivity and diversity is really embedded into our values. Our team has already been trained on that from the moment they are on board," explains Wooldridge.

Kelowna Pride raised concerns on whether the RCMP will be able to vet or guarantee that these spaces are in fact safe and every staff member will receive them with open arms.

"Part of this program, you sign a commitment as an organization and a business, to uphold those values," Wooldridge tells Castanet. "I would expect that anyone that is placing this sticker on their door and signing that agreement with the RCMP would agree with those things."

Kelowna RCMP commander Supt. Kara Triance said Tuesday the rollout of the program has been paused while she consults with the Pride Society on their concerns.

“I wish that I could circle back and start this over again and have had those discussions beforehand,” Triance said.

Wooldridge says these conversations lead to change, and although this is a 'small step,' it's a positive one.

"I've lived in the Okanagan since 1993, and we used to only have gay dances every other month and we used to wear small little rainbow patches on our jeans to not really be identified," he recalls. "In that short amount of time, we now see thousands of people who come here in the summer for Kelowna Pride."

Wooldridge says he recognizes that vulnerable populations and under-represented voices have had challenges with law enforcement.

"Is there room to grow? Absolutely. Have people had poor experiences in the past? Of course. It's important to note that the folks organizing this are well intentioned and if there was an oversight or a misstep, that can be corrected through conversation and consultation," he adds.