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The West Kootenay region is facing a pressing challenge: a rise in homelessness fuelled by colliding crises, including housing shortages, the opioid epidemic and extreme weather events. The mobility of marginalized populations adds further complexity, underscoring the need for innovative and collaborative regional actions.
Inspiring Change: Building Community Solutions Together
To face these challenges head-on, join us at the second-annual West Kootenay Homelessness Response Summit. This free event brings together a mix of views and expertise to work together on tackling homelessness in the region. We especially welcome those who have experienced homelessness themselves.
This event is hosted as part of Bridging Rural Homelessness and Well-being: A Sustainable and Collaborative Regional Response.
Summit Schedule
This event is free. The session on Monday includes dinner and the session on Tuesday includes lunch and snacks. You can register for just one day or both days.
Monday, April 29, 5–9 pm
Join us for an enriching evening of community connection over a shared meal. Our featured speaker, Guy Felicella, brings a unique perspective as a harm reduction advocate who battled addiction and homelessness for three decades. From his personal journey, he will impart invaluable insights into what strategies proved effective—and which ones didn't—in breaking free from that cycle.
Currently, Guy works at Vancouver Coastal Health, Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction, and the BC Centre on Substance Use. Using his firsthand experiences, he strives to make meaningful change in attitudes toward harm reduction and homelessness.
Following Guy's presentation, we'll open the floor for collective dialogue, fostering an interactive exploration of the essential ingredients for cultivating a safe and inclusive community for everyone. Don't miss this opportunity to engage, learn and contribute to building a better tomorrow together.
This evening event is co-hosted with the Trail Community Action Team and the City of Trail.
Tuesday, April 30, 9 am–5 pm
Over the course of the day, we will hear from diverse local voices, including people with lived-experience, service providers and Selkirk College students.
This will be mixed with facilitated activities that will help develop action ideas and find next steps to keep momentum going after the event.
Lunch and snacks are included.
Why Attend?
- Share & Learn: Engage with diverse perspectives on rural homelessness and learn from those responding in innovative ways.
- Build Relationships: Strengthen connections with others working toward improving the well-being of those experiencing homelessness.
- Collaborate & Commit: Join forces to generate action ideas, build momentum and leave with concrete steps, fostering community-driven solutions.
Who Should Attend?
Everyone curious about or committed to enhancing the well-being of those experiencing homelessness in the West Kootenay region is invited. This includes individuals with lived experience, social service agency employees, elected officials, government staff, students, Selkirk College employees, representatives from the business community and residents.
While the summit focuses on the communities of Trail, Castlegar and Nelson, participants from other rural communities are warmly welcomed.
Bring Your Curiosity and Ideas!
Every participant is an expert in their lived experiences and has valuable insights to contribute. The summit provides a brave space for connecting and having conversations that may not happen elsewhere. If you have actionable ideas, bring them! Through a facilitated process, you'll collaborate with other participants to turn these ideas into reality, leaving with momentum and concrete steps for action.
Together we can make a lasting difference in our communities. Coming together as a region is one of the most powerful ways to find solutions that work for all of us. Let's collectively address the challenges of rural homelessness and work toward sustainable solutions.
Registration
