The vision of the Shannon Lake Neighbourhood Association is to promote a shared sense of citizenship and inclusion for all residents of Shannon Lake. This includes our propriety owners, renters, seniors in supportive housing, and residents in transitional housing or emergency shelters.
The Bartley Court Shelter plays an important role in the housing continuum. The City of West Kelowna’s goal, in partnership with BC Housing and the Turning Points Collaborative Society (TPCS), is to support and increase the opportunities for safe, attainable, and accessible housing that meets our diverse community needs.
The Bartley Court Shelter (BCS), located off the Bartley Street roundabout provides safe, secure homes for up to 42 West Kelowna residents experiencing homelessness. The shelter opened in the fall of 2021 under a 3-year temporary-use permit. It is the only shelter in West Kelowna to provide residents with temporary housing until a longer-term solution is in place.
Any individual who comes to the shelter is scheduled for a shelter diversion intake session with one of the trained staff within 24-48hrs of arriving. The staff builds relationships with people living on the street and offers them support and supplies.
One of the most valuable forms of support the staff offers is to empower clients to map their social networks to find opportunities for temporary shelter or even permanent housing. The BCS staff strategies consist of helping individuals to secure independent housing or to strengthen long-term ties to clinical services, families, and friends as part of the transition. Essentially, the goal of these sessions is to divert individuals away from the overburdened shelter system and towards housing opportunities with people they know.
Once BCS residents have found permanent housing, our outreach team continues to work with them to ensure everything is running smoothly. They offer mediation services if residents are facing challenges with their landlords, they take people to the food bank, they help people develop budgets, and they help people connect to the community. These community connections are particularly important because they often play a vital role in preventing people from cycling back into homelessness.
TPCS staff oversee the shelter’s operations by providing 24/7 support through on-site supervisors and security staff. Staff security work both inside the facility and patrol the exterior and surrounding neighbourhood. The shelter staff also work closely with the City of West Kelowna Bylaw Enforcement staff. Meal service, hygiene facilities and referrals to community services are available for residents.
A Community Advisory Committee (CAC) was created to address and mitigate any Shannon Lake Residents’ concerns related to the shelter and its residents. The committee includes representatives from BC Housing, Interior Health, TPCS and our Shannon Lake neighbourhood.
A CAC member and resident of nearby Crystal Spring is quite pleased with the openness of the shelter’s staff to address concerns, “Vandalism and theft happen everywhere in West Kelowna. The encampments that sometime appear adjacent to our mobile home park are not a result of the shelter’s residents. City bylaw officers and BCS staff have been quick to respond to complaints.” Residents of nearby Crystal Springs have expressed concern over trash and open fires in the McDougall Creek ravine.
Shannon Lake residents have several points of contact if there are concerns.
· Bartley Court Shelter (778) 583-4881 – concerns about the immediate neighbouring property (garbage, unsafe conditions)
· City of West Kelowna Bylaw (778) 797-8810 – excessive noise, litter/dumping on public space
· West Kelowna Fire Rescue (778) 797-3200 – fire safety concerns
· West Kelowna Community Policing (250) 707-8022 – non-emergency line for events that have already happened (stolen items, other crimes)