In a vote of 6-1 Trail council has nixed the idea of relocating the city’s shelter from downtown to the Gulch.
Council rejected the proposal from BC Housing for a temporary use permit at 585 Rossland Avenue despite municipal staff recommending approval. Of note, BC Housing was unable to come up with other possibilities in the private sector and there is a lack of appropriate city-owned property on which to build a new structure.
The sole councillor in support of the Gulch site was Paul Butler.
He’s been involved in the matter since the UBCM last fall when Trail representatives met with ministers and pushed for funding, which he said only came in the 11th hour.
While Butler acknowledged the Gulch location wasn’t ideal, he was ready to approve it if certain conditions were met such as 24/7 security, beefed up security for Colombo Lodge events, and a daily grounds sweep by shelter staff.
After going through almost every realistic possibility for relocation, Butler said, “This is where we’ve come to. I challenge those who know individuals who own properties you see as being suitable sites, to come back to the table.”
