Her June ’25 letter to the city from the front lines is all about solutions.

Kwesa means “a place of welcome” or “a place for cleansing”

On a letter to the City of Campbell River dated June 04 2025, Joelle gives us a quick local history lesson drawn from her experience as our local library manager.

She wrote: “neither you Mayor Dahl, nor Campbell River appointed VIRL Board Trustee Ron Kerr, have ever contacted me to discuss these issues during my years as Library Manager.”

What they were doing instead is clearly spelled out in the report to council for bylaw 3987, Nov 07 2024.

Regular engagement with residents downtown (i.e. Berwick Apartments, Tyee Apartments), area businesses and real estate developers has demonstrated that there is a reluctance for private sector investment in the downtown given concerns about a perceived rise in social disorder and crime downtown, particularly in areas where there is a cluster of social services.

Joelle was Library Manager from 2017 till 2025, and noted that in 2017-2020 “people were banned from the library for disruptive behaviours / staff were often yelled and sworn at” – on average 1 to 2 incidents daily. After the services appeared [almost cluster like] around the library, “We went from 1-2 occurrence reports on average daily, to 2-3 a month or less.”

selection of her letter below, full letter here. Article on 3987 coming soon.

Here is what stopped happening at the library. Because Kwesa offered laundry services and showers, people were clean and felt better. Honestly, the air was better in the library and staff were no longer having to navigate wet socks being air dried on rainy days. Everyone was happier. Because Ham’?aelas fed everyone daily, there were set times when folks would leave the library to have a meal. They would tell others it was time to go, and invite newly unhoused folks to join them. There was community and everyone was happier. Because the Rose Bowl housed people and Kwesa opened its shelter, a number of folks had better sleep and were safer
at night. And they were happier in the mornings when they’d come to visit us. In the library, people were happier, we were less crowded, and the occurrence reports decreased drastically. We went from 1-2 occurrence reports on average daily, to 2-3 a month or less. At one point I had to retrain staff on how to fill them out correctly because we were so out of practice!

Campbell River Library Manager turned candidate Joelle Samson challenges the narrative that criminalized/removed Kwesa [Welcoming/Cleansing]

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3 min read

Her June ’25 letter to the city from the front lines is all about solutions.

Kwesa means “a place of welcome” or “a place for cleansing”

On a letter to the City of Campbell River dated June 04 2025, Joelle gives us a quick local history lesson drawn from her experience as our local library manager.

She wrote: “neither you Mayor Dahl, nor Campbell River appointed VIRL Board Trustee Ron Kerr, have ever contacted me to discuss these issues during my years as Library Manager.”

What they were doing instead is clearly spelled out in the report to council for bylaw 3987, Nov 07 2024.

Regular engagement with residents downtown (i.e. Berwick Apartments, Tyee Apartments), area businesses and real estate developers has demonstrated that there is a reluctance for private sector investment in the downtown given concerns about a perceived rise in social disorder and crime downtown, particularly in areas where there is a cluster of social services.

Joelle was Library Manager from 2017 till 2025, and noted that in 2017-2020 “people were banned from the library for disruptive behaviours / staff were often yelled and sworn at” – on average 1 to 2 incidents daily. After the services appeared [almost cluster like] around the library, “We went from 1-2 occurrence reports on average daily, to 2-3 a month or less.”

selection of her letter below, full letter here. Article on 3987 coming soon.

Here is what stopped happening at the library. Because Kwesa offered laundry services and showers, people were clean and felt better. Honestly, the air was better in the library and staff were no longer having to navigate wet socks being air dried on rainy days. Everyone was happier. Because Ham’?aelas fed everyone daily, there were set times when folks would leave the library to have a meal. They would tell others it was time to go, and invite newly unhoused folks to join them. There was community and everyone was happier. Because the Rose Bowl housed people and Kwesa opened its shelter, a number of folks had better sleep and were safer
at night. And they were happier in the mornings when they’d come to visit us. In the library, people were happier, we were less crowded, and the occurrence reports decreased drastically. We went from 1-2 occurrence reports on average daily, to 2-3 a month or less. At one point I had to retrain staff on how to fill them out correctly because we were so out of practice!