City council’s plan to revitalize a stretch of Shopper’s Row is, in and of itself, a nice idea but the history behind that stretch of street and its connection with the unhoused population of our city combined with this council’s zealous drive to “clean up” the downtown taints the project.
We all want downtown Campbell River to be safe and attractive but it would be nice if we could claim it was done with compassion and sensitivity and avoid a plan that will force out all the establishments providing services for the city’s unhoused population.
Reimagining Shoppers Row is the plan to develop a mixed-use, purpose-built rental project in the downtown area with money from the federal government and city reserve funds. This “strategic land acquisition” will provide purpose-built rental housing of different unit types from studio apartments to three-bedroom units aimed at middle-income earners (we’ll believe that when we see it). It will also be home to new commercial spaces. The plan conforms to the 2023-2026 Council Strategic Plan, the OCP and the Downtown Refresh Plan. It’s nice to see a plan conform to the OCP and not seek to vary it.
It removes the Harbourside Inn, its low-income tenants, the Həm’ʔaelas community kitchen and the Kwesa Place warming centre. And they have to be out by June 30.
Where they are going to go is unknown at this point. City manager Elle Brovold said the city is committed to working with community partners and BC Housing to relocate existing tenants in the coming months.
Forty temporary housing units opened recently in the Homewood project but that will only help a small percentage of people experiencing homelessness.
Clearing out that block has been this and previous councils’ goal for a long time. The people availing themselves of the services provided there as well as the liquor store in the area have been a big problem for the block’s other tenants on the street, namely the apartment building, hotel and Berwick seniors residence directly across the street.
Look, those tenants have gone through a lot, there’s no doubt, and it wasn’t their choice to be forced to be the tolerant and understanding neighbour. They didn’t get any tolerance and understanding either.
Why these services were approved for that location in the first place is a mystery. It’s probably a result of a lack of foresight as the problem of downtown unhoused grew exponentially over the last decade.
But why a liquor store licence was approved in that location and then social housing, a community kitchen and a warming centre were added is baffling.
I’m pretty sure the liquor store licence came up for renewal after the problems on that block had long been established but did the warming centre and community kitchen have to go there?
Now the city is tasked with railroading them out of there and Campbell River’s image as a caring community gets another black eye.
Look, the project is great. It’s the kind of thing you want to see in your downtown – mixed-use housing combined with commercial space all contributing to a walkable downtown.
This is a concept that’s been around for decades and Campbell River has paid lip service to it for many years but it’s only now getting some real backing and that’s only because it helps council achieve its goal of cleaning up the downtown core rather than any ideological affinity for a vibrant, high density, pedestrian-scale (read: less car dependent) city centre.
It’s sad that clearing out the homeless provided the impetus for taking action on a liveable downtown core and not the positive value of creating an increased density, European-style city centre.
It would be nice to be able to enjoy the glorious sunshine of urban renewal without the nagging feeling of guilt.
Alistair Taylor has been a writer and editor with Black Press since 1989, most of those years spent as editor of the Campbell River Mirror.
