Kamloops is joining forces with Kelowna at this year’s Southern Interior Local Government Association (SILGA) convention, with the aim of getting the provincial government’s attention on the issues of opioid overdose deaths and the housing crisis.

The convention will be held in Vernon from April 25 to 28 and the City of Kamloops is co-sponsoring a pair of resolutions this year with the City of Kelowna.

Kamloops Coun. Bill Sarai, who is vice-president of the SILGA board of directors, told KTW getting the joint resolutions approved would be “huge” accomplishments.

Under the first resolution, the two cities call on the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) to lobby the province to increase funding for on-demand mental health treatment, withdrawal management and substance use programs throughout the province to meet the needs of people suffering from substance abuse and mental health challenges. The resolution also asks Victoria to update its A Pathway to Hope strategy to include a plan to fully fund and establish regional campuses of care.

“That’s a win if we can get that,” Sarai said, noting there are people in Kamloops so heavily entrenched in drug use and mental health issues that they are a danger to themselves and others and need help.

Kamloops and Kelowna also have a transient housing resolution calling on UBCM to lobby the province to “urgently” provide “substantial” increased funding for on-demand withdrawal management and substance abuse treatment programs with diverse, culturally appropriate, recovery-driven transitional housing options.

If the resolutions pass at SILGA, they will be put to a vote at the UBCM convention in September. If the resolutions pass there, they would likely get the attention of the province, Sarai said, allowing the city to lobby the government, noting the support the resolutions have behind them.

“Nothing says they’ll jump all over it, but it sure will get their attention,” he said.

Sarai said he is also interested in discussing housing issues and watching the outcome of a resolution from Barriere. That resolution calls for the UBCM to ask the province to review the feasibility of requiring all commercial semi-trucks travelling in B.C. to have dash-cams to encourage driver accountability.

Six of nine members of Kamloops council are attending the SILGA convention, with councillors Nancy Bepple, Kelly Hall and Margot Middleton not going.

Dr. Selena Lawrie:

One of the original founders of STEPS and the first site director for the UBC Family Practice Residency Program in Kamloops

Tanya Sanders RN MSN PhD(c): Associate Teaching Professor Nursing TRU, Community Health

Sara Goddard RNc: Outreach nurse, Remote Nursing, Doctors without Borders