B.C. buys Courtenay motel for supportive housing
The B.C. government has purchased a motel in Courtenay to use as supportive housing, as the province's lease on another motel in the city expires.
People currently staying at the Travelodge motel in Courtenay will be moving into the Super 8 motel next month, since the province's lease at the Travelodge is expiring on June 30.
The province first started leasing the Travelodge in spring 2020 to give homeless people in the area a place to stay and self-isolate amid the pandemic.
The province considered purchasing the Travelodge outright, but said it could not reach a deal with the building's owner, prompting the B.C. government to purchase the Super 8 instead.
The Comox Valley Transition Society, which currently operates the Travelodge, will also provide services at the Super 8 to "ensure a seamless transition for residents," said the province.
Those services include 24-hour staffing, daily meals, support services, life-skills training and health and wellness services, according to the province.
"We want to make sure that these vulnerable people are not left homeless, which is why we made substantial efforts to purchase this hotel and create a valuable housing resource for the community," said B.C. Minister of Housing Ravi Kahlon in a statement Monday.
"These new homes will further add to the significant efforts underway in Courtenay and across the province to tackle the housing crisis and build the homes people need," he said.
Residents are expected to begin moving in early June.
Anyone interested in commenting on the purchase of the motel can reach out to BC Housing online, or attend an information session at the Lodge Room in the Native Sons Hall in Courtenay on June 8 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Angst and calls for resting places as Surrey, B.C., pet cemetery development continues
A single headstone is all that remains of dozens of markers for long-buried pets in a subdivision in Surrey’s Newton neighbourhood, where a half-acre parcel bears a large sign announcing the proposed construction of new homes.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.