Neighbours of temporary shelter finding needles, human feces on nearby playground

Neighbours of the Stuart Wood temporary shelterin Kamloops, B.C.,are sounding the alarm after finding needles and human feces on the playground near the building.

Patti Pernitsky, who works at the United Church preschool and daycare nearby, takes her students to the playground at the Stuart Wood building to play.

"A week ago, when the bus stopped to drop the children off at Stuart Wood School, we were stopped at the gate and there was RCMP action happening," she said. She assumed there had been an overdose.

"It was really quite traumatic for the children to see this."

At the city council meeting on Nov. 21, when the City of Kamloops heard about what Pernitsky and others were seeing, they organized a meeting for Thursday, Nov. 23 with shelter stakeholders to discuss how to clean up the playground and better communicate with people living in the area.

"Everyone's taking note.They're all stepping up," said Byron McCorkell, director of of parks and recreation for the City of Kamloops.

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McCorkell said the city's parks crews clean the area twice a day, and ASK Wellness, the Canadian Mental Health Association, Interior Community Services and Bylaw Services are all working to ensure the area is safe.

Pernitsky said she was not invited to the meeting held on Thursdaybut hopes a community forum can be organized so parents and community members can hear from stakeholders.

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"I want it to be very clear that we're not against the shelter," she said. "We applaud that there is an opportunity for people who are presently homeless to have a warm place to sleep. We just want to be able to take back the playground and have all the parties that are involved communicate openly with each other."

With files from Daybreak Kamloops