It’s been almost a year since the Loop and the Kamloops Community Meal Train stopped operating. Not everyone was a fan of the programs, but they served to ensure that Kamloops’ homeless and most vulnerable had access to three meals a day. With the closure of the programs, we reached out to Glenn Hilke, former operator of the Loop and the Kamloops Community Meal Train, for an update.

While Hilke says he has no plans to bring back the Loop, he adds the need for day programs in Kamloops is essential.

“People should not have to go hungry in 2025, period. I’ll qualify it and quantify it — if the federal guidelines are suggesting people eat three meals a day, this should be true of the homeless people too.

“You have people asking, ‘Do I pay rent and not become homeless, or buy enough food?”

Hilke added that it wasn’t just the homeless using the day program services.

“The definition of homeless differs from province to province. We have people living in hotels, we have people couch surfing, and of course, we have people living in their vehicles. We would see those people regularly with the Kamloops Meal Train. Single moms and the working poor used our services.

“We don’t have enough housing. Housing is becoming less and less affordable. Some of the programs that are called supportive housing, unless something changed, they would be doing two meals a day for people living there. We’d serve food all day long. We’d have folks from other programs coming in hungry.”

Hilke also raised the alarm on a lack of services available for those in need on Tk̓emlúps  te Secwépemc land. “Because of the rivers and extreme weather in Kamloops, things need to be duplicated on both sides of the river,” he said.

Hilke said that has heard that the number of bylaw complaints has increased since the Loop closed.

“It’s obvious we need a day program,” he said.

We reached out to the City of Kamloops for information on the number of bylaw complaints since the closing of the Loop.

“The public disturbance piece is the tough one to identify. Yes, we have had more calls in the Tranquille corridor, but part of it is because we have been more proactive,” said Will Beatty, Community Services Manager for the City of Kamloops.

“Part of that is a decrease in calls to RCMP and an increase in calls to us. Part of that is knowing from a business perspective who to call when to call.”

According to Beatty, that nature of most of the calls consists of people who are loitering or obstructing sidewalks.

We reached out to the Kamloops RCMP for an update, asking if there has been an increase or decrease in calls/disturbances in the North Shore since the Loop closed. We were advised, “We have no data that can be shared relating to your inquiry.”

Natasha Hartson, Social, Housing and Community Development Manager for the City of Kamloops offered the following with respect to the need of day programs and meals: “In 2024, the City did advocate to the Minister of Housing expressing the need for dedicated funding program for day spaces for unhoused individuals — however, there has been no support at this point from the Province to fund this important service.” 

Hilke knows the services the Loop and the Meal Train provided made a difference. He heard moving stories every day.

“I would hear, ‘Thank God, you found us.’”