The City of Campbell River is supporting the launch of a nightly dinner program at the Salvation Army Centre of Hope, delivered in partnership with the Salvation Army and the Laichwiltach Family Life Society (LFLS). The program expands existing lunchtime meal services to provide consistent evening meals in an established setting.
This new dinner program will replace the temporary take‑away food service that has been provided by the City and the Salvation Army following the closure of Hem’?aelas Community Kitchen. The take‑away program will continue until the new dinner program officially begins as soon as is practical.
Since its purchase of the Harbourside Inn in December 2024, the City has been working with local service providers to identify sustainable, community based solutions to address food security. This included assisting with the search for a new location and, more recently, identifying a way to support service delivery in the existing location.
“This program reflects months of dedicated behind‑the‑scenes work by City staff and community partners and allows us to respond in a meaningful way to the complex challenges that matter deeply to residents,” said Mayor Kermit Dahl. “Building on the City’s longstanding partnership with the Salvation Army, this collaboration with the Salvation Army and Laichwiltach Family Life Society will provide a consistent nightly dinner service from a trusted, established location. The program offers people a safe, indoor place to enjoy a hot meal, while also helping keep public spaces clean and welcoming for residents, families, and visitors. I want to sincerely thank our community partners and the many City staff whose passion, care, and commitment have made this possible.”
The City and the Salvation Army have entered into a four-year Memorandum of Understanding, during which the City will provide financial support while the parties work together on the long-term objective of funding a purpose-built facility outside of the downtown core. The City will provide additional funding from the Financial Stabilization Reserve for 2026 to support the program, while pursuing grant opportunities to offset its financial contribution where available.
“The City’s support enables us to expand our services and provide additional meal programs for members of our community who rely on these services,” says Tobyn Pearson, Community Ministries Director with the Salvation Army. “We thank the Laichwiltach Family Life Society and the City for their partnership and look forward to the positive impact this will have on the Campbell River community.”
Meals will be delivered by experienced service providers with established food program and support capacity. The City encourages organizations interested in supporting food security in Campbell River to consider contributing funding, supplies, or volunteer support through this program that prioritizes food security, safety, and consistent service delivery.
In addition to supporting food security initiatives, the City will continue to advocate to senior levels of government for the services and funding needed to support residents. The City will continue supporting housing first solutions such as the Homewood temporary housing units, which have already had a notable, positive impact in the community.
The dinner program is anticipated to begin as soon as volunteers, supplies and all logistics are in place. The take-away dinner program will continue until the new program is officially launched.
The City remains committed to working collaboratively with community partners to deliver coordinated, sustainable services that support community well‑being. For the latest updates and more information, visit www.campbellriver.ca.
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Contact: Elle Brovold, City Manager | 250-286-5709 | Elle.Brovold@campbellriver.ca