The Kamloops Food Policy Council (KFPC) is thrilled to announce the relaunch of Food and the City, a citizen-led policy research initiative aimed at addressing key community concerns regarding food security in Kamloops. This project was originally introduced in 2022 before the municipal election, and resulted in the creation of seven co-created, impactful policy recommendations, which focus on helping shape food and sustainability dialogues within Kamloops. Now, as we approach 2024, and a provincial election, we’re diving back into these important conversations with a renewed focus.
In this year’s Food and the City project, our network has investigated critical issues that intersect with food security, including land use management, experiences of vulnerable populations, community engagement, and affordable housing. Exploring these topics further is a critical step toward ensuring that our communities can sustain themselves.
On Monday, July 15th, the community met for the first 2024 Food and the City planning discussion over Zoom and sub committees were formed. We would like to acknowledge the Loran Scholars Foundation for providing an Educational Work Placement Support grant that enabled us to hire a Food Policy Intern to facilitate the process, and a big thank you to Graeme Hanks for the amazing work he did in this role!
Throughout the summer, we engaged in deep discussions on how planning and policies impact food security in Kamloops. We have been engaging our community through discussions, forums and surveys to ensure that Kamloops residents have a voice in shaping the future of food policy in their city and province.
The challenges facing Kamloops are not isolated. From vulnerable populations lacking access to nutritious food to the pressing need for affordable housing, these issues intersect in complex ways. Food and the City 2024 aims to bring these connections to light and advocate for policies that ensure a just and resilient future for all.
As the provincial election nears, we look forward to presenting research-backed, community-driven recommendations that reflect the needs and hopes of our citizens. Stay tuned on our socials, website, and newsletter for updates and opportunities to get involved as we work towards a sustainable, inclusive, and food secure Kamloops and B.C.
Let’s shape the future together. Food is community. Help us build both in our communities!
Take the 2024 Food and the City Community Engagement survey here.
Authors: Krista Macaulay & Lindsay Harris
In January 2022, the provincial Agricultural Land Commission denied an application from Tranquille on the Lake to remove ~51 ha from the Agricultural Land Reserve for a housing development. This decision was welcomed by the Kamloops Food Policy Council, who had advocated against the proposal due to the loss of agricultural lands, expected harm to a sensitive ecosystem, and lack of acknowledgement for an important Secwepemc cultural heritage site.
The KFPC envisions a local food system that is regenerative, sovereign, and just. This means we advocate for development policies that protect agricultural lands and support the food security of our community. However, Kamloops is also in a severe housing crisis, and the lack of available, affordable housing is causing many families to struggle to put food on the table.
Unlimited growth, a mindset with deep roots in imperialism and colonialism, can lead to the devastating destruction of valuable agricultural land, sprawling expensive neighbourhoods, and car-dependent cities. Growth for the sake of growth isn’t automatically good. Yet, stopping all growth is a major contributing factor to our current housing crisis. Low development, NIMBYism, and zoning constraints have caused a dangerously low vacancy rate and disasteriously limited housing inventory.
What would “good growth” look like in Kamloops? Growth that is resilient, compassionate, and smart can help us thrive. Growth that focuses on the needs, desires, and intrictities of our community can help us become a better place – unlike growth that focuses on building as many luxury homes as possible in a quarter.
Where do we grow from here?
The KFPC is advocating for policies and action from housing developers and local government that encourages the right type of growth that preserves our local food system and supports the distinctive needs of our community. More inclusive and economically savvy development – such as infill, multi-family, housing cooperatives and affordable rental housing units in our pre-existing neighbourhoods – are essential to increasing our low supply and meeting Kamloops’ current housing gaps. Housing that is net-zero, resilient to heat domes and flooding, and doesn’t expand the wildland-urban interface even further is equally important. Ensuring the right type of development is key to fostering the resilient long term health of Kamloops.
Let’s continue this discussion!
The Kamloops Food Policy Council will be launching a series on food and the city to explore a number of deeper civic discussions leading up to our municipal election. As the late urban planner and Canadian food advocate Wayne Roberts wrote, “food is a lever.” Food is how we connect to the land, our communities, and our traditions. And because food is so impactful in all our lives, it is a useful lever through which we can create transformative changes in other areas. Strong local food systems can help us get to more affordable housing, walkable neighbourhoods, stronger local economies, spaces for safety and belonging, and more.
You can read our full discussion on the topic of growth and sustainability on our website: www.kamloopsfoodpolicycouncil.com/growth-and-sustainability where you can also subscribe to stay in the loop about our food and the city policy series!
Authors: Krista Macaulay & Lindsay Harris
Fall is often a time of transition and change. Just as the weather shifts and the trees around us begin to shed their leaves, so do our lives and daily structures alter and adapt. Schedules become more rigid with kids back to school and vacations coming to an end. Shorts and sandals go back in the closet, while coats and toques come out with the crisp morning air. Berry season closes out for the great pumpkin king’s arrival. With so much change in the air, it feels fitting that our municipal elections happen in fall.
While municipal elections do not receive the same attention as federal or provincial elections, they are the best way that individuals can bring change to their communities and everyday life. Our school trustees, council, and mayor make decisions that affect our schools, our community services, and city plans. Local government is the true key to actionable change for Kamloops.
At the Kamloops Food Policy Council, we have brought together members of our network to form a policy advocacy group leading up to fall’s municipal election. This Food and the City group has been collaborating on areas of change for our city. Using food as a lens to explore relevant civic issues and food as a lever for transformative social change, the Food and the City group has created a number of powerful discussions and policy recommendations. As Andrea Magarini and Andrea Calori of the book “Food and the Cities” write:
“Food is a fundamental component of a city that is inseparable from citizens’ basic rights and needs, individual lifestyles and cultures, the socio-economic structure, and the city’s relationship with the surrounding environment . . . These trends go well beyond the need to feed cities, calling into question our perspectives on how to think about cities as a whole.”
Food is how we connect and engage with the land, our community, our traditions, and each other. Because food impacts all areas of our lives, it can act as a lever through which we can create transformative changes! At the Kamloops Food Policy Council, we know that strong local food systems can help us get to more affordable housing, walkable neighbourhoods, stronger local economics, spaces for safety and belonging and more!
The Food and the City group has endeavoured over the past 4 months, creating 7 in-depth blog posts on key topics. Through much research, discussion, and collaborative writing we have produced the following posts and subsequent policy recommendations (in no particular order):
- Sustainable Development & Affordable Housing
- Public Spaces & the Commons
- Planning for People, Not Cars
- Healthy Ecosystems & Pesticide Use
- Community Safety
- Decolonizing the Municipality
- Community Food Security
Each post can be found on our webpage: www.kamloopsfoodpolicycouncil.com/food-and-the-city and includes an in-depth analysis of the topic with policy recommendations for our current and future leaders! These recommendations provide key directions for positive growth, change, and development in all areas of life for Kamloopsians.
The Food and the City Group also speaks to the ability of citizens to participate in elections in their city. So often it can feel like we are disconnected from our municipal government and the decisions that take place in City Hall. This project seeks to display that advocacy matters and citizens can participate in municipal elections beyond pencilling in their candidates of choice. Whether it is those who have joined the Food and the City Group to research and write on specific issues, or those from our wider network who came together to help create communications material and spread the word! On the evening of Tuesday September 13, we hosted a DIY Flyer Making Event to create awareness of the project and craft some fun posters to share around our community! This project has truly been an exciting example of how citizens – such as you and I – can participate in a deeper way in municipal elections.
Volunteers creating art around the 7 Food and the City topics.
Together we can create positive change. Together we can build community and partnerships that advocate for a stronger, happier, healthier, and more resilient Kamloops!
Be sure to check out our list of topics and recommendations: www.kamloopsfoodpolicycouncil.com/food-and-the-city
If you want to get involved in developing and implementing policy with us, or if you’re a local government candidate and want to support any of these policies in your platform or to discuss further, please reach out to us: lindsay@tapestryevaluation.com
When I go to the grocery store these days, I am really feeling the pinch. I’m glad I planted a big garden this year! I know that I’m not alone in noticing how expensive my grocery bill is. The cost of groceries is increasing rapidly, putting many more families at risk of experiencing household food insecurity.
Author: Lindsay Harris, Food Policy Implementation Lead
It’s not just food prices that are skyrocketing – housing affordability is also in a major crisis in Kamloops. Kamloops’s population is quickly outpacing its housing supply, and families are being priced out of the market. According to Zumper.com, the average cost of new studio and one bedroom apartments in Kamloops more than doubled between 2016 and 2023, with average rents now at $1600/mo and $1750/mo, respectively. Our population is growing more quickly than projected, and our inventory and community vacancy rates are at critically low levels. We know we are in desperate need of more housing supply.
There is a clear link between household food insecurity and the high cost of housing. One of our core organizational values at the KFPC is “Alleviation of Poverty” because we understand that we will not be able to meaningfully address household food insecurity without also addressing the conditions of poverty more broadly.
Last fall, the KFPC published a series of municipal policy recommendations called Food and the City, including one recommendation to build more cooperative housing to increase the affordability of housing. Cooperative housing is widely recognized as an important category of affordable housing, yet in recent years Kamloops has had no organization working toward building this type of housing. But we’ve heard the buzz that a new organization in Kamloops is stepping forward to lead this solution!
Propolis Cooperative Housing Society is a non-profit housing cooperative, with a goal to create affordable, durable, and green homes that will enrich the vibrant neighbourhoods in the heart of Kamloops.
Like bee propolis, which bees use to seal cracks in their hive, Propolis Cooperative Housing Society envisions a community in which no one falls through the cracks.
Propolis recently announced that they are in the planning stages for their first building project: a six-storey mixed-use development, located at the corner of Aspen and Tranquille, which will provide 50 affordable residential housing units. It will have commercial space for a daycare and a theatre on the ground floor, and it will even have rooftop gardens!
Propolis has taken an innovative approach to funding the purchase of the land for this project. They are raising capital through a community bond campaign, so that everyone in the community can contribute to developing affordable housing, while earning returns. It is a unique and inclusive opportunity for all residents to play an active role in addressing the housing challenges we all face. Investment minimums are as low as $1,000 and investors will earn up to 3.5% interest annually while supporting a vibrant future for Kamloops.
If we want to improve food security in our community, we need to make progress on the affordability of our housing too. The KFPC is looking forward to working in partnership with Propolis to build a community where nobody falls through the cracks.
If you want to learn more about Propolis, their housing project, and how you can invest in a Propolis Bond, you can check out their website at https://www.propoliscooperative.com/bond-campaign.
The Kamloops Food Policy Council has launched a series on food and the city to explore a number of deeper civic discussions leading up to our municipal election. As the late urban planner and Canadian food advocate Wayne Roberts wrote, “food is a lever.” Food is how we connect to the land, our communities, and our traditions. And because food is so impactful in all our lives, it is a useful lever through which we can create transformative changes in other areas. Strong local food systems can help us get to more affordable housing, walkable neighbourhoods, stronger local economies, spaces for safety and belonging, and more.
Subscribe here to stay in the loop about our ongoing food and the city posts!
Decolonizing the Municipality
Over the last few years, decolonizing relationships has been increasingly urgent, as Indigenous communities have been faced with rising up as society grapples with the uncovering of the bodies of children at residential schools, Missing and Murdered Indigenous People and the disproportionate rates of health epidemics in Indigenous communities. The Kamloops Food Policy Council acknowledges that there is no food security without Indigenous Food Sovereignty, and we wanted to get to the root of the health and wealth divide between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, literally, starting at the ground level, with the land.
The Kamloops Food Policy Council hosted a book club on the Yellowhead Institute’s Land Back paper, in spring 2022. The Land Back paper uses consent as the central touchstone for the restoration of Indigenous jurisdiction over the land. So, as we face a municipal election amidst ongoing reckoning with the colonial history of this land, we want to ask, what role can the municipality play in decolonization?
One of the most important things to understand is the chain of events that occurred because of an incorrect assumption made by the first settlers that there were no Indigenous laws. They made this erroneous assumption because Indigenous laws were in oral stories, and not written on paper at the time of contact. As a result, British colonists applied their own laws, and in doing so claimed the vast majority of what is now known as Canada as crown land. While Indigenous law still remains in tacts and unbroken, crown land inhibits control and decision making powers by Indigenous people within their territories.
Right now, in BC, crown land comprises 94% of the province, while Indigenous reserve land makes up only 0.4%. Across the entire country, Indigenous reserve land represents only 0.02% of the land base. Just take a minute to let these numbers sink in. Less than half of 1% of the land is under the jurisdiction of the Indigenous populations who stewarded and cared for this land from time out of mind, until the time of contact with settlers.
[Map of Crown Land in City of Kamloops Boundaries]
Although crown land often looks barren and empty on a map, every square metre is affected by mining, logging, drilling or the associated impacts to the watersheds and wildlife. The extraction of resources from crown land is the core of the economy. Which means that Canada’s economy relies on the ongoing alienation of Indigenous people from their land. Indigenous people have experienced this forceful removal from the land over time through laws prohibiting Indigenous people from leaving reserves, residential schools, the 60s scoop, incarceration, and many other direct and indirect ways. This land alienation has left Indigenous communities in poverty and it reinforces the cycle, as multiple coinciding crises prevent Indigenous people from pursuing the restoration of their rights and title to the land (Land Back, 2019). We might think of the chain of events looking like this:
Colonists assumption about the absence of Indigenous law > Creation of crown land and private land holdings using British laws > Removal of Indigenous jurisdiction over land > Widespread natural resource extraction benefitting settlers > Requirement for continued Indigenous land alienation for economic purposes > Overlapping Indigenous crises > Continued land alienation and natural resource extraction.
So back to the original question: what role can a municipality play in decolonization? There are significant decolonial actions that are within the realm of power that a local government has that can help to redress the harm that has occurred.
Starting with reconciling the false assumption about the absence of Indigenous Laws that occurred at contact, the first policy recommendation is for the municipality to formally recognize oral and written Indigenous law. One instance where this already occurred was during the review process for the AJAX mine, where Indigenous communities in the Kamloops area formed the group Stk’emlúpsemc te Secwépemc Nation (SSN) and used Indigenous laws to determine that they did not consent to the creation of a mine in the proposed area. The City of Kamloops subsequently also opposed the project. It would be valuable to continue and deepen this commitment to accepting Indigenous decisions, directives and resolutions when it comes to regional issues.
The second recommendation is to look for opportunities to transition government land to Indigenous control. The City of Kamloops has already supported an addition to reserve application by Tk’emlups te Secwépemc, and there are more opportunities to directly transfer municipal land to the Secwépemc nation. The return of ancestral lands within municipal boundaries to Indigenous communities has been done across our province including in Mission in 2021, in Merritt in 2020, and in Vancouver in 2014.
The third recommendation is for the City to support the advancement of education around Secwépemc histories, stories, and laws. It is important for education both within the school district, and in the broader citizenship of Kamloops to be focused on Secwépemc specific information and that this education includes a decolonial lens. It is equally as important for non-Indigenous people in Kamloops to explore their own ancestry and its land-based connections. The more we can see ourselves as humans in connection with the land, the more responsive we will be as a society to the restoration of Indigenous jurisdiction over this land.
The fourth recommendation is to advance land back practices within the municipality by:
- Making decolonization public by hosting a series of dialogues intended for citizens in partnership with TteS, similar to Victoria’s Reconciliation Dialogues
- Launching a program to rename places in Kamloops to their Secwépemc name, similar to Haida initiatives that resulted in the renaming of Queen Charlotte to Daajing Giids
- Implementing a voluntary or suggest land taxation system that would flow to Secwepemc communities, similar to Victoria’s initiative with Reciprocity Trust
The City of Kamloops has already shown a strong commitment to decolonizing the municipality through the creation of an action plan that outlines how it is addressing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action. This has laid a solid foundation for advancing Land Back initiatives. With the election around the corner we have an opportunity to renew and deepen our commitment, as citizens and as a local government to the restitution of Indigenous rights and title and the restoration of human relationships with each other and with the land.
KFPC’s Recommendations for Decolonizing the Municipality
- Formally recognize oral and written Indigenous law, and comply with Indigenous decisions, directives and resolutions when it comes to shared regional issues
- Pursue opportunities to transition government land to Indigenous control
- Support Secwépemc-specific education, curriculum and citizen reflection and learning
- Implement and promote municipal Land Back practices such as decolonization dialogues, a Secwépemc renaming program, and voluntary land taxes
KFPC is a mostly settler led organization engaged in the ongoing practice of decolonizing our practices. We are part of a learning journey and this blog article reflects some highlights from our recent Land Back book club as well as conversations with Indigenous partners and local Indigenous led-organizations, who we are grateful for discussions and idea sharing with. We expect this to be an ongoing learning journey and that our recommendations for increasing Indigenous Food Sovereignty, as well as Indigenous jurisdiction as a part of municipal action will evolve over time.