In September of 2006 the City of Kamloops retained the Social Planning and Research Council of BC (SPARC BC) to undertake the development of a Social Plan. The goal of this plan is to enhance the well-being of Kamloops residents.

The priorities and actions for the City of Kamloops Social Plan have some significant common themes. Since the City often holds secondary or limited responsibility for social services, many of the options available to the City involve communications, advocacy and partnership building with and between community agencies. While the City does not have the mandate or capacity to function as a front-line social service delivery agency, it does have an opportunity to engage with the community and community agencies to identify community needs and help ensure that the needs of community members are met.

Through the process of creating the Social Plan, twenty-one priority social service elements were identified. An inventory of existing services, and matrices of government responsibilities related to each of the priorities were created to assist community members with identifying gaps in services and resources, as well as the community action necessary to address those gaps. The following main themes are addressed:

• Section 2.1 – Housing & Homelessness
• Section 2.2 – Safe places, alternative transportation & environmental health
• Section 2.3 – Youth Issues
• Section 2.4 – Aboriginal Community
• Section 2.5 – Building Social Agencies & Community Capacity
• Section 2.6 – Children & Families
• Section 2.7 – Health & Addictions

In order for a social plan to be effective, it is essential to regularly assess the needs of the community, to identify emerging issues and to ensure that the City has the capacity to engage with community agencies over time and across a range of issues. The following global recommendations reflect the overarching goals and actions of the Social Plan.