Former downtown Kamloops business owner sells shop, claiming frustrations with lack of safety and vandalism in the city

KAMLOOPS — The Kamloops Chamber of Commerce is reminding local shops about a grant provided by the City of Kamloops that is available to businesses affected by vandalism and crime.

But one business owner says it’s too little, too late.

Lise Mitra, former owner of the Continental Barber Shop, sold her shop to a new owner after her frustrations with the crime and vandalism in the city continued to grow, making it more difficult to operate.

“I just had enough,” Mitra told CFJC News. “I feel like the city has just totally dropped the ball.”

Her decision to sell came after the shop’s front window was smashed by someone with a rock in July 2021.

Afterwards, many businesses came forward expressing their frustration with similar experiences involving vandalism and overall crime in Kamloops.

Shortly after, the City of Kamloops acknowledged the outcry. It decided to partner with the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce to allocate up to $50,000 for a Vandalism Cleanup Support Grant Program to support businesses directly affected by vandalism and graffiti within city limits.

Funding covers up to $500 and no more than 50 per cent of the claim. Businesses can only apply for the grant twice – capping them at $1,000 — if they had two separate instances of vandalism. The grant is also open to non-for-profit organizations and companies that are not chamber members.

“It’s a slap in the face really,” Mitra said. “”What happens the third time? And the fourth time? It doesn’t even cover my time that I have to spend cleaning up the feces, and the drug paraphernalia, and the urine and the vomit. It’s just not enough.”

Since the summer, the chamber has given out $2,500 in grants to seven businesses. So far, 15 businesses have been applied. Many applications are currently being reviewed.

“It’s obviously a drop in the bucket when it comes to the actual cost of a lot of the vandalism that’s being experienced in the city, but a little bit does help,” Kamloops Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Acacia Pangilinan.

Pangilinan adds that businesses who have received the grant expressed gratitude for the assistance, but many are still frustrated with the ongoing crime.

Mitra says there were multiple instances where her employees felt unsafe, which was when she had to change the structure of her operations altogether.

“My rule was that nobody’s allowed to work by themselves,” she said.

Mitra also lives in downtown Kamloops and has been a resident here for almost 50 years. She recently made the decision to leave the city and move to a rural area.

“The city has grown, but the support has not. So, it’s still like a small town, but it’s got all the big city problems with nobody having a clue how to deal with them,” Mitra said.

The Continental Barber Shop will continue to operate under the same name and with the same staff but a new owner.

Business interested in applying for the Vandalism Cleanup Support grant must have experienced vandalism after Aug. 12, 2021. Proof of the damage is required — photos are accepted — and a receipt for the repairs must be provided. Anyone interested in submitting an application for the grant can do so here.