Articles by Roger Knox

Health

‘We are not garbage’: B.C. motel tenants evicted, judged and heartbroken

“We Are Not Garbage — We Are People” – Voices From Inside the Tiki Village Eviction. Sherry Campbell, 56, is one of those voices. Campbell is one of about 40 residents of Vernon’s longstanding Tiki Village Motel – the ‘Gem of the Valley’ it still reads on its marquee at the corner of 25th Avenue and 34th Street – who found themselves without a home Wednesday, Nov. 19. The residents were given eviction notices by property managers Nov. 13, due to “electrical problems,” and had until 12 p.m. Nov. 19 to leave. Campbell was one tenant who shared her story with local media, then sat in heartbreak with her neighbours as “we have watched the headlines and online comments with growing disbelief. “It is easy, perhaps too easy, for the public to glance at an article about an aging motel, skim mentions of police calls or poverty, and assume they know who we are. It is easy to say “crackheads,” “problem residents,” and “just clear it out.” That’s not the reality, said Campbell. That’s not who lives – lived – at the motel. Campbell had been a resident for about seven months. Others as long as 10 months, some as short as three months. And behind the thin motel walls are human beings, said Campbell, many of whom have nowhere else to go. That includes her. They’re not asking for handouts or special treatment — they are asking for dignity, respect, and the “lawful notice that every person deserves.” “One of my neighbours is a veteran, a man who served this country and now survives on a fixed income,” said Campbell. “His hands shake when he holds the eviction notice. He locked himself in his room, sitting in his robe, crying — terrified of what will happen now that he has stayed past the lockout date. This is how we treat those who once risked their lives for our safety?” In another room, said Campbell, is an elderly man, dying. His room is filled with hospital equipment. He’s hooked up to medical devices, barely speaks above a whisper, and yet he is expected to pack up and leave within days because, “the building was deemed unsafe long after he had nowhere else to go.” “How can someone who cannot walk be expected to ‘vacate immediately?’” asked Campbell. Residents received another evacuation notice Nov. 19. Campbell’s neighbours are people with chronic illnesses, cancer, mental illnesses – one woman suffers mentally and physically, but was able to find another motel to move to. Some can barely afford medication. Some residents suffer with mobility issues, and there are others, said Campbell, on disability who simply do not have first and last month’s rent for a new place. “Many of us are working people — housekeepers, cooks, dishwashers — trying to keep our lives together in an increasingly unaffordable city,” said Campbell. Yes, some residents struggle with addiction. That is a reality in nearly every low-income housing environment, and pretending it isn’t would be dishonest. “But addiction does not erase a person’s worth. It does not justify treating residents like trash to be swept aside for redevelopment. We are a community. We share food. We check on each other when someone doesn’t leave their room. We lend out spare blankets in the winter. We are mothers, fathers, veterans, seniors, and people trying — desperately — to survive. “What we received instead of empathy was a one-week termination notice, taped to doors, worded in a way that felt cold and dismissive. Many of us questioned its legality. All of us questioned its humanity.” The displaced tenants want the public to understand they are not faceless characters in a struggling motel. They are not the stereotypes that get scrolled past on social media. They are people with histories; with families; and, now, with fears. “This situation is not just an eviction,” said Campbell. “It’s displacement, trauma, and, for some, potentially a death sentence. “All we are asking for is what any Canadian deserves: proper notice; respect; recognition that our lives have value. “Before anyone judges us, we ask that you look past the headlines and see the truth: we are not garbage being swept out of the way for redevelopment. We are human beings. “And we deserve to be treated like it.” The Tiki Village was built in 1968 and opened as the Tiki Village Motor Inn, a 30-room motel featuring A-frame architecture at the front, which remains. The website mytiki.life says a “previous owner in the 1990s cleared out many of the weathered original tikis and tried to remodel things for a more Japanese aesthetic.” Calls to the motel’s owner company and to the B.C. Residential Tenancy Act’s communications department, to discuss the short notice of evacuation, have not been returned.

Sports

Bumps, cuts, fever, typhoon not dampening B.C. athlete’s spirit

A crash. Cuts. Nosebleeds. A fever. Nasty weather that could get nastier. Through it all, Shanda Hill’s determination has not wavered. Vernon’s ultra triathlete continues her quest in Taiwan to become the first woman to complete 50 Iron distance triathlons in one calendar year. As she continued on the bike Tuesday, riding with a competitor named Fabio, she hit a barrier and went head first over the handlebars, striking her knee and lip. A few repairs were made to the bike and to Hill, and she kept on going. Hill pushed through hours of rain, heat, and wind. “Her body is showing the strain,” wrote Hill’s support crew on social medial. “She has some sunburns, a few nosebleeds, and a fever that may be from her long exposure and effort, but she’s still focused on the task ahead. In true Hill fashion, she’s been fueling with whatever keeps her going. On Tuesday, she had two packages of noodles first thing in the morning, two pounds of honey-roasted almonds, six slices of margarita pizza, and close to nine litres of water. “Her body burns through everything she gives it, and she knows how to listen to what it needs,” said her crew. As of Tuesday, Nov. 11, about 6 a.m. local time, Hill had completed 420 of the 1,800-kilometre bike route. She’s well into the ride and holding steady, despite the changing weather, and the physical toll of the past couple of days. With an incoming typhoon, Tainan City – host site for the first-ever ultra triathlon in Asia – will be shutting down schools and workplaces Wednesday. Race officials announced that the event will pause at 12 a.m., Nov. 12, for safety. They’ll review conditions Wednesday evening, and plan to restart the race the following midnight if it’s safe to continue. Hill is taking it all in stride. “She knows the toughest races are never just against distance, but everything that comes with it,” said her support team. “Her focus remains the same. Stay ready, stay strong, and keep moving forward when the time comes.” Each loop on the course is 7.5 km long, and there are 240 laps in total.

Technology

Teams, fans set for Battle of Vernon football showdown

Greater Vernon Athletic Park will be draped in the fall colours of two city high school football rivals. Billed as the Small Town Showdown, the Vernon Panthers – encouraging its fans to wear red – face the Fulton Maroons – asking their fans to wear white – in Interior AA Senior Varsity Football Conference play today (Friday, Oct. 24), at Greater Vernon Athletic Park. Kick-off is 7 p.m. The Panthers, 4-0 in Conference play, are the No. 1-ranked team in the B.C. AA polls, while the Maroons (3-1 in Conference) glide into the top-10 this week at No. 10. Both teams are coming off lopsided wins where each team’s offence put up 40 or more points – the Cats tamed the No. 7-ranked South Kamloops Titans 49-14, while the Maroons dispatched the Seaton/Kalamalka Sonics 45-7. “The Battle of Vernon is always much anticipated,” said Vernon head coach Sean Smith to Bernie Crump in this week’s B.C. Secondary School Football Newsletter. “It draws a big crowd and both sides get extra motivated to play each other. I’ve gone against (Fulton) coach (Mike) Scheller so many times he could probably run our offence, so there won’t be a lot of secrets out there on Friday.” Said Scheller, to The Morning Star: “It is always a tough task when you face the elite AA program in the province. The Panthers prove it year after year after year. The job coach Smith and his staff have done over the years is tremendous. “All that being said, this is a fun game and our rivalry game for us. Our kids and our fan base get enthused for this contest and we always get a good crowd. Our coaching staff is happy with the progress our team has made in 2025. We are playing well and our kids have worked really hard this season. The Panthers play faster than anyone. We need to match their speed, intensity and play clean football Friday night. Go Maroons!” Smith has been impressed by the Maroons’ dynamic duo of Caden O’Dwyer (running back) and Ryder Altwasser (signal caller). “They’ve got a very talented back and an athletic quarterback so we will have to make sure that we account for both of them at all times,” he said. “For us, I’ve been really proud of how all 11 players on the field have become more physical and intense the past two-and-a-half games. “To win, we’re going to have to continue to play physical football at the line of scrimmage and execute as a unit in all three phases of the game. Defensive end Josh Vandenberg has been a force on the defensive line and special teams all season, while quarterback Ayden McDonald continues to grow into a special dual-threat leader.” Two other North Okanagan senior varsity squads hit the road Friday and Saturday. The Sonics (2-3) visit the Westsyde/Valleyview Blue Wave (2-2) in Kamloops Friday at 4:30 p.m. Armstrong’s Pleasant Valley Hawks (1-4) take on the South Kamloops Titans (3-1) Saturday, Oct. 25, at 2 p.m. Both Kamloops games are at Hillside Stadium. JUNIOR VARSITY North Okanagan teams took it on the chin in Thompson Okanagan Junior Varsity Football League play Wednesday, Oct. 22, at GVAP The early game saw the Salmon Arm Golds improve to 4-1 with a 41-8 win over the Pleasant Valley Hawks (0-5). Darian McCormick scored Armstrong’s touchdown and added the two-point convert. Liam Phillips was named PVSS’s player of the game on offence for providing big blocks. Defensive player of the game went to Michael Ferenci for his solid tackling. A showdown of the conference’s two undefeated teams was one-sided. The Westsyde Blue Wave of Kamloops rolled into Vernon and defeated the VSS Panthers 30-13. Both teams had been 4-0 entering the contest. Bennett Friesen and Gavin Chenoweth had touchdowns for the Panthers. The Seaton/Kalamalka Sonics look to remain in fourth place Thursday, Oct. 23, as they travel to Kamloops to play the South Kamloops/Valleyview Titans. Seaton is 2-2, the Titans are 2-3. MINOR FOOTBALL Vernon Magnums U10 (Atoms) White team rallied from an early 14-0 deficit to beat Salmon Arm 41-22 for the team’s fourth win in a row. Lennon Peterson led the Magnums with three touchdowns, Sam Jacque added a pair, and Lincoln Wadsworth also found the end zone. Dash Cragg booted five of six converts. Crucial blocks and reliable tackling was provided by Jack Tait-Crawford who led the team with nine. READ MORE: Battle of Vernon football showdown looms large READ MORE: Vernon Panthers melt Salmon Arm Golds in undefeated battle