Cranbrook Mayor surprised by BC Gov permanent shelter announcement

Cranbrook’s mayor is excited to learn the BC government has purchased a property for a new permanent homeless shelter in Cranbrook.

Price had not been informed ahead of time that the Province was purchasing a two-lot property in the community, with the intention of renovating into a 40-bed homeless shelter by late this year.

Wayne Price says it’s good the see the Province is taking Cranbrook’s homeless population seriously.

“They’re listening to the City, they’re listening to the community, and they’re actually buying the issues and recognizing that,” Price says. “But certainly saying that, we certainly realize that the City as well has a moral responsibility and community responsibility to engage and be involved in the social issues as well.”

Price is hopeful the purchase of a two-lot property means the Province has plans to help with Cranbrook’s homeless situation beyond the late-2023 opening date.

“Maybe there could be a second project that would go hand in hand with the shelter?” he says. “I’m thinking maybe transitional housing as a next step, and I don’t know that for sure, I’m just speculating out loud and certainly I wouldn’t expect it to happen in the near future, but certainly in the distant future I could see that probably occurring on that site as well.”

The shelter will be located at 209 16th Ave. N and it will be operated by Community Connections of Southeast BC.

– Wayne Price, Mayor of Cranbrook