Kelowna’s ‘tent city’ draws online scrutiny; mayor promises ‘solutions’

A viral video of dozens of tents at Kelowna’s outdoor sheltering site has quickly become political fodder online.

Earlier this week, a video from TikTok user bozoozo2 went viral, causing Kelowna to trend nationally on Twitter.

The 57 second clip, taken presumably from a bicycle, shows the growing encampment along the Rail Trail.

Further elevating the video, Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre retweeted it with the caption: “These images are not from a faraway third-world country. This is Kelowna. After eight years of Trudeau & the NDP.”

The tweet quickly drew an array of comments, including condemnation from all sides of the spectrum, criticizing local, provincial, and federal housing policy.

And while Mayor Tom Dyas was not immediately available for an official comment, he turned to social media Wednesday morning.

In a photo shared to Instagram, Dyas - who is attending a conference with many of the country’s mayors in Toronto - is seen speaking with Edmonton mayor and former Liberal cabinet minister Amarjeet Sohi.

In the caption, he acknowledged that “homelessness is on the mind for many people.”

“The number of individuals living on our streets is unacceptable,” it read. “Learning from other communities - their successes and mistakes - is one of the best ways we can address our issues here at home.”

Dyas added he looked forward to “bringing back solutions to Kelowna.”