Paul Braun, who is homeless, is well-known in Penticton’s downtown core.
Every day for the past four years he sits on the sidewalk in the 200 block of Main Street, rain or shine, panhandling so he doesn’t starve.
But now the City of Penticton is moving to curb panhandling in this block, a hot spot for begging during the busy tourist season.
Instead, Tina Siebert, Penticton Bylaw Services Supervisor, said the city will install a “kindness meter.”
“A kindness meter is much like a parking meter however the purpose of it obviously much different,” she said.
Passers-by will be encouraged to donate spare change to social service agencies instead of people on the street.
But Braun rejected the notion it will reduce the number of panhandlers downtown.
“Somebody sees that poll there to put money in, they’re going to say its perfectly legal for the city to put this thing here why isn’t it legal for me to sit across the street and do it,” he said.
City Councillor Judy Sentes questioned if it will achieve its desired effect.
“People panhandle because their need is immediate, they are hungry now, so will it actually make a difference, I guess that’s what the pilot project would try and answer,” she said.
Siebert said the idea has been successful in Vernon.
“Vernon especially did indicate that their complaints did decrease, which is a good thing and does encourage us to maybe see more locations down the road,” she said.
Downtown Penticton Association Executive Director Lynn Allan is in favour.
She said business owners are most concerned about panhandlers driving away customers.
“It is intimidating for some people to go by and deal with — should I put money in or shouldn’t I? Should I look should I not look? It gets difficult for people walking by and then that can cause people not to want to be in that area to do shopping,” she said.
Passerby Don Osborne said he gives to panhandler’s at least three days a week.
He said a “kindness meter” won’t change that.
“You never know maybe tomorrow I could be just as bad as that,” he said.
The Kindness Meter pilot is part of 100 Homes “suite of strategies” for reducing homelessness in the community.
Local service providers that could benefit are the South Okanagan Brain Injury Society, Penticton Soupateria Society, Pathways Addictions Resource Centre, and Salvation Army-Compass House.
The meter will be installed next week.
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