This Week I Heard: 144 Conversations Across Kelowna
Week seven of Teresa May's 1,000 Conversations Tour across Kelowna: 144 conversations on recovery and homelessness, excessive vehicle noise, needles in parks, and a practical idea to curb illegal dumping, bringing the running total to 810.
This week we took a big jump — 144 conversations. Between door knocking, visiting local businesses, attending special events and a Sunday service, I heard from a lot more Kelowna residents.
144 conversations this week. Running total: 810 / 1,000 · 7 / 13 neighbourhoods
One conversation especially touched my heart
A local business owner shared his personal story with me. As a young man, he experienced homelessness and addiction. He told me that being placed in a mandatory recovery centre changed the direction of his life. Today, instead of living on the streets, he is running a business and contributing to our community.
He also offered a perspective I’ve been thinking about since. There are people experiencing homelessness who are ready and reaching for a way out, and others who may not be ready yet. His message was simple: when someone reaches for help, the help needs to be there.
It reinforced something I keep hearing across every neighbourhood — we need more treatment and recovery capacity, more mental-health supports, and somewhere for people to go when they are ready to change their lives.
What else I heard
Noise. This one surprised me. It came up in more than one conversation, particularly around extremely loud motorcycles and vehicles. Should Kelowna be doing more about excessive vehicle noise? I don’t have a predetermined answer, but it’s a question worth exploring.
Parks and needles. In Glenmore, one woman told me how much she loves her neighbourhood — and in the same breath, that there are parks where discarded needles can sometimes be found. Both things are true, and she shouldn’t have to choose between them.
A practical idea about illegal dumping. Every year, volunteers clean up garbage dumped along hiking trails, service roads and neighbourhood ditches. One resident suggested: why not offer two free landfill disposal days a year, one in spring and one in fall? Not for commercial waste — for household cleanup items that can’t go in regular garbage. Would that reduce illegal dumping and save us cleanup costs in the long run? It’s worth looking into.
That’s exactly why I’m having these conversations. Some ideas will work. Some may not. But good local government starts by listening to the people who live with these issues every day.
144 more conversations, and I’m still listening.
Come have a coffee with me this week
- Wednesday, September 9, 8:30–10:30 a.m. — Bean Scene Coffee, 2942 Pandosy St, Kelowna
- Friday, September 11, 8:30–10:30 a.m. — Frequency Café, 2041 Harvey Ave, Kelowna
No speeches. No agenda. Just coffee, conversation, and your ideas for Kelowna.
What would you like to talk about?
Teresa