About 50 people, including homeless residents of the encampment, protested outside Kelowna city hall on Monday, September 12, 2022. Kelowna city council candidate Daniel Joseph says he handed out free burgers and donations, but didn’t specifically pay any of the homeless to attend an affordable housing rally outside city hall Monday. People who protested say otherwise. Castanet visited the camp along the rail trail Tuesday and spoke with several people who said they were paid $50 and a burger in exchange for their presence outside city hall. Community activist Heather Friesen calls it using people as props to get elected. He is a frequent visitor to the stage city. “I’ve been going there so long and not once has anyone said Gord Lovegrove’s name or Daniel Joseph’s name. Everyone knows who I am and everyone knows that I was going to run for office and then I ended up not being able to run for office because I have health issues.” Friesen says everyone knows where she is. “For them to just show up one day and say fifty dollars, come protest with us. For me, that’s using people as props to get elected. That’s shady as f–k.” Joseph claims that donations were given to some of those in need in the camp. “Basically, I walked from the railroad tracks with about 50 tent city residents, to city hall for the protest,” he told Castanet in a text message. “I had ordered a box full of burgers, but I felt bad about how these people were living, so I gave burgers and cash donations to everyone who needed it.” Fellow city council candidate Gord Lovegrove also attended the protest and insisted no one was paid to take part. “I know for a fact, and Daniel and I know each other well enough to trust what the other says, I didn’t pay them to be there, he didn’t pay them to be there. But there were burgers that were handed out for free at the camp and donations were made.” Friesen disputes the use of the word “donations,” adding that those she spoke to at the camp felt they were paid to protest. Camp residents also told a Castanet reporter they felt they were paid to attend. One man who chose not to attend the protest because of his age and bad weather said he never received a donation. Some residents of the stage city, however, said they believed in the message delivered by the protest – the need for affordable housing.
