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Period promises fulfilled
United Way BC provincial drive fights period poverty
Classic Cars hit the streets
Two classic car shows are planned for August
Kamloops gas prices to be investigated
Sean Brady: Reporter
news@kamloopschronicle.com
Gas prices investigated
The B.C. Utilities Commission (BCUC) announced in July it will investigate gasoline prices in Kamloops.
“Concerns have been raised about market fluctuations between the Kamloops region and the nearby Kelowna region,” reads a news release from the utility regulator.
A notice posted online says the regulator has been asked to examine the Kamloops fuel market and explain why prices appear to be higher.
Requests have been made to retail stations for detailed data on sales and margins, a rationale for how prices are set, and why pump prices may be higher than in nearby markets.
Coun. Bill Sarai raised the issue back in January, calling upon council to send a letter to Minister of Energy and Climate Change Adrian Dix.
“I’m hearing it a lot from our residents, as well, that Kamloops is getting gouged on gas prices,” he said.
At a regular council meeting in July, Coun. Stephen Karpuk suggested elevating the matter to the federal competition bureau.
“If you leave the city of Kamloops, you pay less. How is that possible if the fuel is coming from here? ... You’re going to pay less in Falkland, less in Grindrod, less in Sicamous and much less in Vernon or Kelowna,” he said.
False alarms to be fined
A new bylaw enacted by council will attempt to curb the amount of false alarm calls attended to by Kamloops RCMP.
Costs for false alarm calls for service have increased in the past
five years, according to a report from city staff.
Staff said 68 percent of the 840 alarm calls attended by police in the city in 2025 were false alarms, with an associated cost of about $61,000.
Under the new bylaw, the city will be able to issue fines up to $5,000 for commercial properties and $1,000 for residential properties.
The new bylaw also includes an appeal process and first occurrences of false alarms at residential properties won’t result in fines.
Airport development encouraged
Council has approved a 10-year revitalization tax exemption for Kamloops Airport lands.
The motion, put forward by Couns. Katie Neustaeter, Stephen Karpuk, and Bill Sarai, was meant to encourage commercial and indoor recreation development. Any industrial development would have to support airside operations at the airport.
The exemption applies to the increased value from improvements made to the land.
Call for involuntary care beds
Kamloops councillor and Southern Interior Local Government Association President Bill Sarai is calling on the province to expand the number of voluntary and involuntary care beds in the province in order to deal with mental health, addiction, homelessness and public safety challenges seen across the Interior.
A letter addressed to B.C.’s premier, health minister, and public safety minister was sent by the SILGA president in early July.
“Communities require additional treatment options for individuals who are unable or unwilling to access care voluntarily and whose conditions place themselves and others at risk,” the letter reads.
Sarai presented the letter to council on July 14.
“We have facilities that could address these issues that are happening on our streets, waiting for things to happen for them to decide is not going to be the answer any longer,” he said.
In response to Coun. Nancy Bepple’s concerns over conducting what is essentially health care in a detention facility, Sarai said a wing of the facility could be designated as a “health wing” instead.
“By giving them help, in my opinion, we’re giving them their rights back, we’re not taking them away,” he said.
A new ruling by the B.C. Supreme Court on July 30, however, may put the province’s involuntary care strategy in jeopardy.
The decision says some provisions of the Mental Health Act violate patients’ Charter rights. The government has six months to amend the legislation.
AAP chosen for police building
Council has opted to use the Alternative Approval Process (AAP) over a fall referendum to gain approval to borrow $160 million to construct a new police headquarters.
Under the AAP, at least 10 percent of the electorate must submit response forms in order to deny the borrowing. Those not opposed to the borrowing don’t have to do anything. The AAP is seen as a less costly process of gaining voter assent, compared to a referendum.
If borrowing is approved, the current plan is to replace the Battle
Street detachment with a new building. Prior to council’s vote, a report was presented by the city’s protective services director and fire chief, Ken Uzeloc.
The current building, established in 1990, was designed to accommodate 75 to 85 people, but has had about 150 for most of its life, according to Uzeloc.
The proposed five-storey building is intended to last for 30 years and would expand the floor space at the site from 43,000 to 120,700 square feet.
Uzeloc said if construction can start in 2028, its estimated cost will be $160 million.
The AAP decision has twice been postponed due to labour action at Canada Post, and some on council have picked up on anti-AAP sentiments from the public.
The vote narrowly passed, 5-4, with Couns. Katie Neustaeter, Stephen Karpuk and Bill Sarai, and Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson opposed.
Others on council were more comfortable with the AAP, citing its prior use to build the Kamloops Centre for Water Quality in 2005, as well as multiple other uses in Kamloops and across the province.
Tentative plans from the city are to complete the process in early 2027.
Donations, grant fund Build Kamloops projects
To date, $2.5 million has been raised by the city of Kamloops for Build Kamloops projects. That is according to the city’s corporate services director, David Hallinan. That tally includes a $1 million donation made by an anonymous donor.
The city is hoping a total of $40 million can be raised by donors for the arena multiplex and arts centre.
Toni Vuteva
SD73 superintendent urges trustee candidates to put students first
Jason Hewlett: Reporter news@kamloopschronicle.com
With the next school trustee election just over three months away, School District 73’s superintendent says anyone seeking a seat on the board should be prepared to put aside personal agendas and focus on making decisions that serve students across the district.
The comments came as the Kamloops-Thompson Board of Education adopted its updated trustee election bylaw ahead of the Oct. 17 vote.
“Don’t take the opportunity lightly,” said school district superintendent Mike St. John.
“You run as a trustee but once you become elected you’re a mem -
ber of a board. Your decisions that you make as a board affect the entire board, not just your particular part or the part you geographically represent.”
This board makes all the decisions around school budget and policy. However, trustees are generally not educators so SD73’s senior administration team provides them with the most up-todate research and evidence based information to make the best decisions they can, St. John told the Chronicle.
“When they do get to the vote, when they do have opportunity to say yes we’re going to spend our money on this initiative or this policy requires a change, they are doing it based on the very best our team is able to give
them,” he said.
The next election will take place on Saturday, Oct. 17 , alongside municipal elections across British Columbia. Candidate nominations will be accepted from Sept. 1 to Sept. 11 , with the official campaign period beginning Sept. 19.
The revised bylaw largely aligns trustee elections with provincial legislation and, in Kamloops, the City’s election bylaws. It confirms advance voting opportunities, requires candidates to be nominated by at least two qualified electors, places candidate names on ballots in alphabetical order, and sets out procedures for tie votes and public access to nomination papers and campaign finance disclo -
sure statements. It also formalizes where election notices will be published, including municipal offices, the school district website, social media and local newspapers.
SD73 is governed by a nine-member board, with five trustees elected at large in the City of Kamloops and one trustee each representing the North Thompson, Barriere-Little Fort, Chase and Logan Lake electoral areas. Trustees serve four-year terms
The current board consists of Chair Heather Grieve, Vice-Chair Rhonda Kershaw, Kamloops trustees John O’Fee, Cole Hickson, Kathleen Karpuk, and Jo Kang, along with Diane Jules (TNRD Areas L and P, Chase, and Sun
Peaks), Shelley Sim (Clearwater, Area A, and Area O), and Cara McKelvey (Savona and Logan Lake).
So far, Kamloops trustees Heather Grieve, Jo Kang and Cole Hickson have publicly announced they intend to seek re-election.
The race is also beginning to attract challengers. Longtime District Parent Advisory Council president Bonnie McBride has stepped down from her role to run for trustee, while Kamloops business owner Jimmy Johal , who was unsuccessful in the 2022 election, has also announced his intention to run. Other incumbent trustees have not yet publicly confirmed whether they will seek another term.
SD73 projects $9.3-million operating surplus as revenues outpace budget
Jason Hewlett:
Reporter news@kamloopschronicle.com
The Kamloops-Thompson School District is forecasting a year-end operating surplus of more than $9.3 million, nearly eight times higher than originally budgeted, driven by increased student enrolment, additional provincial funding and stronger-than-expected investment and international education revenues.
A financial update presented to the board projects a $9.314-million operating surplus, up from the $6.065-million forecast at the end of the third quarter and well above the amended budget surplus of $1.207 million. District revenues are now expected to reach $219.4 million, about $5.7 million above budget.
School district superintendent Mike St. John and secretary treasurer Kim Morris told the Chronicle this increase is driven
by higher-than-expected enrolment, particularly in distributed learning programs, additional labour settlement funding from the province following collective bargaining agreements, strong investment income and continued growth in international student activity revenues.
The district has also benefited from increased reimbursements through the Classroom Enhancement Fund, which helps offset teacher staffing costs.
“It’s a combination of salaries, benefits, services, supplies and revenue,” said Morris.
How will this impact the 2026-2027 school year? Morris said the surplus allows the district to make one-time purchases on items like much-needed equipment replacement or infrastructure upgrades. By doing so, administrators avoid any future disruptions in service and education if a surplus like this doesn’t exist, she said.
NOTICE TO RUTH CHARLOTTE KONSHAK, aka Ruth Laatsch, aka Ruth Miller, aka Ruth Pederson (DOB April 24, 1947), and to anyone knowing her whereabouts:
We are seeking to contact Ruth regarding the Estate of her late brother, Allen Donald Laatsch. It would be appreciated if Ruth, or anyone knowing of her whereabouts, would contact Sharon Kobe of Infinity Law, either by telephone at 778-405-1635, or by email to skobe@infinity-law.com, in order that we may settle the Estate.
“We’re not impacting the future service level for students by creating jobs that may not be there if the surplus isn’t there,” said Morris.
St. John added spending decisions like this are made with the best interest of the students and school culture in mind.
“What this allows us to do is to go deeper with what we do have,” he said. “We can enhance professional learning. We can enhance opportunities for teacher development and student experiences that does impact the classroom day to day that isn’t something, three years from now, where we’re laying people off.”
On the spending side, the report showed salary and benefit costs remain below budget despite retroactive wage increases for teachers, principals and vice-principals following provincial labour settlements.
The savings are largely attributed to vacant support staff and excluded staff
positions, along with lower replacement costs through the district’s Attendance and Awareness Support Program. Supplies and services are also forecast to finish roughly $609,000 below budget , although officials note spending typically accelerates toward the end of the fiscal year as invoices continue to be processed. As of May 31, the district had recorded $195.4 million in revenue and an operating surplus of $12.8 million . While that figure is expected to decrease as remaining expenses are recorded before the June 30 fiscal year-end, administrators remain confident the district will close the year with a surplus of more than $9.3 million . The financial report is one of several quarterly updates provided to the board each year as trustees monitor the district’s fiscal performance and compare actual revenues and expenditures against the approved operating budget.
Wildfire season could stretch towards Halloween, officials caution
Jason Hewlett: Reporter news@kamloopschronicle.com
Wildfire season in British Columbia could stretch toward Halloween this year, with campfire bans and other fire prohibitions likely remaining in place until late October as increasingly long fire seasons become the norm, a B.C. Wildfire Service official says.
With hot, dry weather forecast well into August, residents can expect campfire bans and other fire prohibitions to remain in place locally and across much of the province until Oct. 31.
“You see, especially in the last couple of years, fire season are trending to be longer. You see that activity into October,” said Rick van Kesteren, an information officer with the B.C. Wildfire Service.
“The middle, end of October, is definitely when things start to
wind down a little bit and you see those prohibitions be rescinded.”
Van Kesteren urged people heading into the backcountry to monitor the B.C. Wildfire Service app for the latest restrictions and updates. He said any changes to campfire prohibitions are posted there.
Last year’s fire season started earlier, with blazes reported in the late spring and unseasonably hot weather and wildfires continue well into September. Van Kesteren said this means people need to take extra care for longer periods of time when out in nature.
He asks outdoor enthusiasts to constantly check for campfire bans and other prohibitions whenever they head into the bush. If someone wants to have a campfire, he recommends using a propane-powered one instead of wood.
“A lot of people like campfires
to have warmth or to cook or anything like that. A propane fire pit that is CSA (Canadian Standards Association) or UCA (Urban Conservation Area) approved, those are great alternatives as they don’t have that risk of sparking,” he said.
Anyone who spots a wildfire while outdoors is asked to call call 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 on a cell phone, or report it through the B.C. Wildfire Service app. Photos submitted through the app can help crews assess the situation.
Mid-July saw a spike in wildfire activity after a series of lightning storms moved across southern B.C. The storms produced little rain until reaching northern parts of the province. As of press time, 138 fires had been sparked by dry lightning.
Since April 1, the traditional start of the wildfire season, B.C.
has recorded 633 wildfires, slightly below the 10-year average of about 700 by this point in the year. About 52,000 hectares have burned, well below the 10-year average of 380,000 hectares. By comparison, roughly 719,000 hectares had burned by the same point last summer.
The province’s wildfire response is increasingly focused on British Columbia’s Central Interior, where crews continue battling several significant blazes. Of particular concern are the out-of-control fires burning near Clinton and 70 Mile House, where evacuation alerts remain in effect and firefighters are working to protect homes and critical infrastructure. While wildfire activity persists across the province, the Cariboo remains one of the busiest regions as crews contend with numerous active fires under challenging conditions.
Build receivesKamloops funds
Continued from A3
To make that happen, the city is looking to hire on a campaign manager to garner donations for major capital projects, with the salary for the position drawn from the donation tally based on the amount raised.
Meanwhile, on July 31, the city announced the Kamloops Centre for the Arts has been awarded a $7 million grant from the Union of BC Municipalities.
The funds, the maximum that can be drawn from UBCM’s strategic priorities fund, will go toward the centre’s lobby, café and gallery project.
“Receiving the maximum grant amount available demonstrates that senior levels of government recognize the importance of investing in arts and cultural infrastructure that supports community well-being, economic development, and long-term growth,” said Coun. Kelly Hall, the chair of the Build Kamloops committee.
Mike Bernier to lead new BC political party, CentreBC
Sean Brady: Reporter news@kamloopschronicle.com
There’s a lot of work ahead for Mike Bernier, who has just taken the reins of B.C.’s newest political party, CentreBC.
The party’s emergence comes after nearly 10 years of the NDP in power, the collapse of the B.C. Liberals, and the election of a new leader for the B.C. Conservatives, who according to Bernier, has made some feel uneasy about that party’s future.
Bernier was announced as the party’s new leader in July. He served as an MLA with the B.C. Liberals from 2013 to 2024, including a stint as the province’s Minister of Education from 2015 to 2017.
In 2024, Bernier ran as an independent following the collapse of BC United, the renamed B.C. Liberals, and was not re-elected. He said he wasn’t planning on returning to politics, but the current political environment reeled him back in.
“Seeing that divisive polarizing politics we’re experiencing so readily across the province, I saw CentreBC and thought that’s where the province needs to go,” Bernier told the Chronicle.
The new party has completed most of the necessary behind-the-scenes work, Bernier said, and now the front-facing work is taking place, like candidate recruitment and policies.
Bernier said work on recruitment is underway, but the party isn’t in a rush, with no election expected until 2028.
“We’re not rushing like the B.C. Conservatives did, where the first person who puts their hand up with an idea, we take them just to have a body. We want to do this right,” he said.
Bernier’s call-out of the Conservatives comes after that party elected new leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay at the end of May, opening the door to a new kind of politics in the province — a kind that Bernier called “extreme ‘culture war’ style” politics.
And he’s not happy with the NDP under David Eby, either. Bernier is hoping to pull
more moderate members of both parties into his own.
“With David Eby’s unpopularity and taking things further left, there are a lot of centrist-style NDPers that are contacting me,” he said.
Asked about potential candidates out of Kamloops, Bernier said the city and its ridings have historically been a “temperature gauge” for provincial politics.
“Kamloops has always had great MLAs, great representation,” he said, mentioning his former BC Liberal colleagues Peter Milobar, Todd Stone and Terry Lake.
“It’s been very progressive in a lot of ways, which kind of aligns more to a party like ours. I’ve never seen it as one that would support polarized or extreme values or views.”
Stone and Milobar were both elected under the B.C. Liberal banner and were present during its transition to BC United, but following that party’s collapse, only Milobar joined the Conservatives, with Stone opting not to run again.
Milobar, however, ran for the leadership of his new party and was eliminated in the first round of voting following a contentious leadership race that saw personal attacks against him by Findlay.
“At the end of the day, I think every MLA elected right now is going to have to take a good look in the mirror and ask themselves why they got into politics,” Bernier said.
“Are the values and this extreme ‘culture war’ style politics that they are involved in now, is this what they can support, or should they consider something else?”
Bernier stopped short of naming names, calling it early days in the party’s recruitment process, but did say that he has found many who feel they are “politically homeless.”
“There are conversations taking place, we’ll just say that,” he said.
“We’ve got people right across the political spectrum, and MLAs, who are obviously not happy with where they’re at, considering their futures.”
A Century of Service: Kamloops Legion Marks 100 Years of the Royal Canadian Legion
Honouring a proud history while looking ahead to the next generation of community service
Anna Montaner: Reporter news@kamloopschronicle.com
One hundred years is a remarkable milestone, and in 2026 the Royal Canadian Legion is celebrating that milestone across Canada.
In Kamloops, that anniversary offered an opportunity to reflect on a century of supporting veterans, serving communities, and preserving the spirit of remembrance that has defined the organization since its founding.
The Royal Canadian Legion’s mission is to serve veterans, including serving military and RCMP members and their families, promote remembrance, and strengthen communities across the country.
For generations, local branches have become gathering places where service extends well beyond veterans, welcoming neighbours, volunteers, families, and community organizations.
Kamloops has its own proud place in that history. Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 52 was established on May 27, 1927, with its first location on Lorne Street. Major W.G. Angus served as the branch’s first elected president.
Over the decades, the branch relocated several times, moving to 245 Lansdowne Street in 1930, to 1110 Victoria Street in 1979, and returning to Lansdowne Street in 2002, where it continues to serve the community today.
Throughout its history, the Kamloops Legion has supported far more than veterans. The branch has sponsored community initiatives including the Legion Symphony Orchestra, a
junior symphony orchestra, scholarships for local students, commemorative events, banquets, fundraising efforts, and advocacy for Veteran support. Those contributions have helped shape the community while reinforcing the Legion’s commitment to service.
As part of the national centennial celebrations, the Kamloops Legion hosted a special anniversary event on July 17. The day featured the unveiling of a Veteran Crosswalk on Battle Street, a public reception and open house, a community dinner, and an evening performance by King & Cash.
The celebration welcomed veterans, Legion members, guests, and first-time visitors alike, recognizing both the organization’s history and the people who continue to keep it strong.
The centennial also shines a spotlight on the future of the Legion. Membership remains an important way for Canadians to support Veterans and local communities, while enjoying opportunities to volunteer, participate in branch activities, and build lasting friendships.
As part of the Legion’s 100th anniversary, new members who sign up for a free membership and renew for 2027 are automatically entered into the Legion 100 Win Big Giveaway for a chance to win a Ford F-150.
While the centennial celebrations have concluded, the Kamloops Legion continues to be an active part of community life. Thursday night dinners are offered when volunteers and supplies are available, followed by weekly open mic nights. Weekend meat draws and 50/50 events also continue to bring members and guests together.
As the Royal Canadian Legion begins its second century, the Kamloops branch remains focused on the values that have guided it for nearly 100 years: honouring service, supporting veterans, and creating a welcoming place where community continues to thrive for generations to come.
Check out @EastKamloopsBIA for full details 11am to 3pm Hot Off The Press for 2027!
Vendors, Live Music, Food Trucks, Entertainment and Performances, Kids Zone, Interactive Experiences, Emergency Services Demonstrations, Giveaways and Prizes
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Thanksgiving on Pender Island Oct 6 8 days $4045
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Jasper Park Lodge Fall Getaway Oct 12 5 days $2970
Guatemala Getaway (EB) Jan 10 20 days $12,595
Mexican Baja Cruise (EB) Zuiderdam Jan 21 10 days from $4540
Mexico’s Magical Cities (EB) Mar 7 13days $10,580
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Editorial Contributors: Sean Brady, Anna Montaner, Juli Harland, Jason Hewlett, Marty Hastings, Mel Rothenburger, June Corcoran, Maria Collins, Amy Tucker, Radhika Tabrez, Sumer Seiki, Marg Archibald
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OPINION
The city council cleanup on aisle 6
OVER COFFEE recently with a strong candidate running for city council, this candidate shared his opinion that the next council term will be a “clean up on Aisle 6” term, trying to bring stability and civility back into council chambers after a uniquely chaotic four years for our civic leadership.
Despite the dysfunction, as I’ve shared here previously, I strongly feel this council has made some big moves, especially with the approval of the performing arts centre and a new multi-rink recreation centre. These projects and, perhaps especially, the ways these projects were approved (without referendum) have certainly been controversial, but it’s hard to argue that this council has done nothing.
Absolutely, things would have been much better without the chaos and over a half million dollars in council code of conduct investigations. I shudder to think of what more could have been accomplished if our mayor and council worked together better. Bring in lower tax increases? Help decrease homelessness?
City councils in Kamloops have long been considered high performing, collaborative, and respectful and it would be wonderful to get back to that. But how do we get there?
A lot of people tell me they worry that some of the more “passionate” local social media groups, which seem to thrive in extremes and in conflict, are representative of the commu-
Bonds
info@kamloopschronicle.com (250) 377-1797
nity. My experience in our community tells me that is not true. Kamloopsians, over our long history as a community, have been thoughtful and wise in electing our city council members and most of us want to see a better functioning group after the civic election. So, firstly and foundationally, we
must believe in our collective ability to get the cleanup started.
Secondly, we need to vote and vote thoughtfully.
Thirty percent voter turnout is not going to cut it, folks. Local elections are more challenging to figure out with more candidates, more positions, and less “brand” recognition. You will never make a perfect decision, but you can make a good one on who deserves support. And if you want to see better for Kamloops, your vote matters. We have amazing local media in Kamloops who will provide a lot of credible information for you. Don’t vote based on hearsay. We will help you make an informed vote.
Most of you who are reading this, I know, are engaged and always vote.
Encourage your friends and family. The people who are putting themselves out as candidates deserve respectful consideration.
All orders of government could function better, could work better with the general public, could meet the moment of these turbulent times more effectively. Local government is no exception. A lot of new council candidates are making this case. But to clean up by getting rid of the whole council would be a mistake. So, lastly, we need a mix of old and new working together to retain what is working and change what is not working.
Elections do not have to be ugly and toxic. They can be engaging and rejuvenating and get our community on a better track.
Fixing Seymour Street remains but a dream
BRINGING TWO-WAY traffic back to Seymour Street has been a dream for at least a couple of decades. Every few years, traffic planners present a new report to City council that includes it as an option.
Each time, they’re sent on their way with a “thank-you very much.” And nothing is done.
In 1979, turning Seymour and Lansdowne Streets into one-way asphalt connectors seemed like a good way to get trucks from the pulp mill and oil terminal through town faster.
And it was. Vehicles can move quite quickly through the downtown area and on to Valleyview, or vice versa. Problem is, one-way streets are not people friendly, create more pollution and are less safe than two-ways.
Let’s face it. Seymour is a pretty ugly urban thoroughfare. Nothing about it says, “Stay awhile, relax,
enjoy the ambience.”
The culprit is impatience. Goods have to be moved and delivered. Time is money and trucks are in a hurry. Cars are part of the rush, too. Commuters like to get from A to B as fast as they possibly can, and never mind what’s in between.
However, livability is a much bigger priority now than it used to be. Seven years ago, the two-way cause had a champion in then-councillor Denis Walsh. He was convinced
Seymour could be returned to two ways while leaving Lansdowne one way east to west as the City worked toward a ring-road configuration that could keep big trucks out of the downtown core entirely.
Walsh saw making Seymour into a two-way street between First and Sixth Avenues as “critical” to the future of the downtown core. Many businesses feel the same.
Walsh, of course, is no longer on council, but the Seymour Street question is back on the table. In a pair of reports that rival War and Peace for length, consultants once again dissect the prospects for Seymour but this time do it in the context of the entire city.
Like Walsh, they conclude that Seymour could eventually be returned to two-way traffic, but say Lansdowne would have to be converted at the same time and retained for now as a designated truck route. And, like Walsh, they contemplate a ring-road eventuality, including a
new bridge from Mission Flats reminiscent of the old Singh Street bridge plan that was supposed to kick in when we reach 120,000 population. But, of course, it all needs “further refinement” and more studies. Meantime, say the Urban Systems experts, settle for some lipstick on the existing one-way Seymour by adding a bike lane, reducing parking and maybe planting some trees between Third and Fourth in front of the arts theatre.
Council, which is mulling over the reports, isn’t likely to push a nearterm conversion of Seymour to two ways in isolation of everything else. So, once again, it gets shuffled to the side. A decade from now, we’ll probably still be talking about it — one gets the feeling that fixing Seymour Street is an impossible dream.
Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and former school board chair, and is a retired daily newspaper editor. He publishes the ArmchairMayor. ca opinion website.
Todd Sullivan Editor
Tom Dickinson Chair Arjun Singh Exec. Director
Kamloops Local News Society
ARJUN SINGH Stronger
MEL ROTHENBURGER Armchair Mayor
The United Way BC are working to distribute more than 65,000 menstrual products to organizations across the Thompson Nicola Cariboo Region through their Period Promise campaign. This helps improve access to essential supplies for people experiencing period poverty. SEE THE FULL STORY ON PAGE A13.
Samaritans help local woman
Dear Editor:
On June 30 at 7:30 p.m., I was in a car accident in the intersection of Tranquille Rd, Fortune Dr., and 8th St. I was alone and terrified when the two cars hit and my car was instantly full of smoke. I thought it was on fire.
Right away there was a girl banging on my windshield asking if I was okay. She and her friends got me out of the car and off the street. They helped me walk over to the steps in front of the Halloween store, spread out a blanket for me, and stayed with me until the fire department arrived.
I don’t know who they were. They had been sitting on the steps in front of the old store. I hope they read this because I need them to know how much I appreciated their help.
Sally Cornies Kamloops
People are more than their condition
Dear Editor:
Today, I have just read Marg Archibald’s article: Is there a silver bullet for diabetes treatment.
The article does address the issue of exercise and the part that it plays in the management of diabetes — both type 2 as well as type 1.
I have had Diabetes for 67 years (type 1) and although I have that condition, I am not known by my condition, but by who I am — a person with diabetes. To call a person with diabetes a diabetic is very old thinking, and does not properly describe who we are.
Just a “small” issue, but one that means a huge amount to those of us living and managing our condition. And it does take work! Thank you.
Carol Baker Kamloops
Aberdeen
Aberdeen Mall Tiny Library
Aberdeen Mall
Chartwell Ridgepointe Retirement Residence 1789 Primrose Ct
Chopped Leaf Aberdeen 1180 Columbia St W G115
Fresh Street Market
Aberdeen Mall
Gold Leaf Pastries 14-1415 Hillside Dr
Kamloops Seniors Village 1220 Hugh Allan Dr
On the Rocks 1265 Rogers Way
Pharmasave Aberdeen 68 - 1395 Hillside Dri
Pizza Now 1415 Hillside Dr #2
Runners Sole 1395 Hillside Dr #74
Straight 8 barbers Aberdeen 1390 Hillside Dr #5
Tim Hortons 1285 Rogers Way
Twin Rivers Market Unit A1420, 1420 Hugh Allan Dr
Barnhartvale
HappyValley Foods 6221 Barnhartvale Rd
Brocklehurst
Riverbend Pharmasave 760 Mayfair St #3,
Flutter Buys Thrift Store 1800 Tranquille Rd #14
Parkcrest Neighbourhood Store 2091 Parkcrest Ave
RiverBend & Mayfair Manor 760 Mayfair St
Downtown
7-Eleven 615 Seymour St & 6th
Amplified Cafe 465 Victoria St
Amplifon Clinic Kamloops 300 Columbia St # 104
Andres Tire World 341 Victoria St W
Artisan Market 705 Victoria St
Big Little Science Center 458 Seymour St
Bikley Law 186 Victoria St #301
Boomers Auto 375 Victoria St W
Brownstone Restaurant 118 Victoria St
Cafe Motivo 229 Victoria St
Canada’s Best Value Inn 1390 columbuia St
Carlos O’Bryan’s Neighborhood Pub 357 Victoria St
Centerpoint Printing 500 Victoria
Central Station Pub 126 4 Ave
Columbia Street Pharmacy 112-300 Columbia St
Continental Barber Shop 319 Victoria St
Cordo Restaurant 540 Victoria Street
Daana Paani - The Indian Grocery Store 414 Seymour St
Denny’s - Downtown 570 Columbia St
Dollarama 450 Lansdowne St
Dorian Greek House 430 Victoria St
Downtown Kamloops BIA 246 2nd Ave
Downtown Library 465 Vicroria Street
Embers 650 Victoria St
Fade Away Barber SHop 156 Victoria St
Frankly Coffee And Bistro 437 Lansdowne St
Frick and Frack 577 Victoria Street
He Brew’s Ahava Coffee Inc 210 Victoria St
Hearing Life 321 Nicola St #208
Hello Toast 428 Victoria St
Jacob’s Noodle & Cutlet 260 4th Ave
Kamloops Art Gallery 465, Victoria Street
Kamloops Brain Injury Association 408 Victoria St
Kamloops Community YMCA-YWCA 400 Battle Street
Kamloops United Thrift 421 St Paul St
Kekuli Cafe 300 Columbia St #101
Kipp-Mallery Pharmacy 3rd Avenue & Victoria Street
Kirstens Hideout Café 1390 Columbia St
London Drugs 450 Lansdowne St #216
Mauryas Restaurant 165 Victoria St
Mittz Kitchen 227 Victoria St, Kamloops
Nandis Restaurant 340 Victoria Street Nutters Everyday
Naturals 440 Seymour Street
Tranquille
Sahali
Adrenas
Bannister
Pick-up The Kamloops Chronicle at the following locations:
Best Western Plus 660 Columbia Str
Canada Games Aquatic Centre 910 McGill Rd
Columbia Diner 555 Columbia Str
Connect Hearing 1315 Summit Dr
Earls 1210 Summit Dr
EZ Vape 1210 Summit Dr #915
Fox and Hounds Pub Sahali Mall, 945 W Columbia St #20
FraserCart Indian Store 795 McGill Rd #103
FreshCo Columbia & Summit
Golds gym 906 Laval Cresc
Kamloops Hearing Aid Centre 414 Arrowstone Dr
Kipp-Mallery Pharmacy (Landmark) Summit & McGill
Marjorie Willoughby Hospice 72 Whitesheild Cres S
Mercedes Benz Kamloops 695 Laval Cres
Mr Lube Summit 1200 Summit Dr
Nature’s Fare Markets - Kamloops 500 Notre Dame Dr #100
Pure Pharmacy #10 - 1380 Summit Dr
Ramada 555 W Columbia St
Save-On-Foods Summit Dr 1210 Summit Dr #100
Stock Pot Cafe 7 - 970 Laval
Superstore 910 Columbia St W
Tim Hortons 910 Columbia St W
Tim Hortons 910 Columbia St W
Tournament Capital Centre 910 McGill Rd
Toyota 1355 Cariboo Pl
Vista Inn 628 Columbia St W
Waypoint Convenience 910 Columbia St West
Wheaton Buick GM 685 Notre Dame Dr
Pritchard
Pritchard Store 4132 Trans - Canada Hwy
Stoney Flats Harvest 4227 Stoney Flats Rd
Tkemlups
Erwins 419 Mt Paul Way
Purity Feed 471 Okanagan Way
Agri Supply 782d Tagish St
Sweláps Market 100 - 302 Yellowhead Hwy
AgeCare Sunriveres 580 Shuswap Rd
Valleyview
Amsterdam Cafe 111 Oriole Rd Unit 1
Clearview Glass 2059 Trans Canada Hwy
Kamloops Mazda 2595, E Trans-Canada Hwy
Kamloops Ram Dodge Jeep 2525 East Trans Canada Highway Frontage Rd
McCracken Station Pub 1626 Valleyview Dr Office Pub 2020 Falcon Rd
PetroCan Convenience Store 1885 Trans-Canada Hwy
Pharmasave Orchards Walk 101 - 3200 Valleyview Drive
Remedy’sRx 1967 Trans-Canada Highway
Riders Motor Inn 1759 Trans-Canada Hwy
Rivershore Chrysler Jeep 2477 East Trans-Canada Hwy
Save-on Valleyview 2101 Trans - Canada Hwy #9
Shoppers Drug Mart 2121 Trans-Canada Hwy Unit 2
Straight 8 barbers Valleyview 168 Oriole Rd
The Residence at Orchard’s Walk 3300 Valleyview Dr #100
Valleyview Barbershop 2172 Flamingo Rd
Volkswagen Kamloops 2483 Trans Canada Hwy
Westsyde Hamlets 3255 Overlander Dr
Save-On-Foods Westsyde Westsyde
Black Pines Restaurant 2992 Westsyde Rd
The Westsyder Neighbourhood Pub 3369 Westsyde Rd Westsyde Pool & Fitness Centre 859 Bebek Rd
More locations added frequently. Check KamloopsChronicle.com for the complete list.
Good News
Still more to celebrate in Kamloops this month!
The Kamloops Courthouse Gallery Artisan’s Co-Op is proud to announce the successful conclusion of “The Lost Earring Project,” an inspiring initiative that raised $4,058 for the Kamloops Y Women’s Emergency Shelter.
The Kamloops Chronicle collected PostIt Notes on a good news board at our booth during Canada Day! Here are some of the notes that were left by the kind passers-by!
• I have the two best sons in the world.
• Canada is an amazing place to live.
• All the rain will help our gardens.
• I graduated!!!!
• Promotion is official today!
• It’s mostly sunny in Kamloops all the time.
• So happy to have just moved back to Kamloops to be closer to family and fun here.
• On holidays from AB and checking out mobile homes to move out.
• Spending the week with my bestie! PS: from Abbotsford – Kaya
• So many volunteers. Well done Kamloops!
• You are loved!
• The Kamloops Chronicle has published 21 consecutive editions!
• Excited for Canada to win the World Cup!
• Canada is 159 years old!
• My tomato plants are huge this year!
• Going to high school soon!
• I got a new dog and his name is Luke.
• The rain season means that all our food will grow better so that everyone gets a lot of food.
• Outstanding event. Want more such.
• I’m with my friends in Riverside!
• I have so many friends and they are all amazing.
• Happy Canada Day!
• We’re fostering kittens!
• Excited for England to win the World Cup!
• I got my permanent residence. Next school year is my senior year.
• Great paper!
• I’m getting a tattoo. Spread kindness.
• Excited for high school!
• Bunnies are cute!
• We just bought a house!
• A neighbour took my garden prunings to the compost facility for me!!
• So many amazing local residents doing great things for the community! @loud_content @ryanfromkamloops @rebelroom @ loopsyka
• Enjoying my first Canada Day!
• Got my dream job! And living life to the fullest! Happy Canada Day!
• I finished writing my play. On stage in October!
• England wins Cup!
• Have a great day!
• I got a dog!
• Mexico in February
• We just became Permanent Residents of Canada! Dency & Shanal
• I got a volunteering position.
• The Belgian Men’s National team managed a comeback against Senegal being two goals down in the FIFA Men’s World Cup
• I’m passing math! I’m not broke anymore!
• Be kind!
• I just graduated and I’m going to Nursing School at UBCO in the fall!!
• I get to see my long-distance sister this weekend!
• Together we are stronger!
• You are amazing!
• Happy Canada Day! It’s really hot.
• Yay Canada
• I drank Dr. Pepper!! Also, I graduated, I guess!
• Canada’s Men’s Soccer team is rockin’ it at FIFA World Cup! Almost as good as the Canadian Women’s team now!
• Soccer Camp for kids coming up
• Canada is the best country in the world! Happy 159th Birthday!
• I did not die.
Ellie de Haan, a champion highland dancer from Kamloops, represented BC at the ScotDance Canada Championship Series in Moncton, New Brunswick, in July. She placed in the top 10 against other provincial representatives, and fourth runner up in the Open Championship against dancers from around the world. Ellie dances with the Shalni Prowse School of Highland Dance. Kamloops is an amazing community with a long-standing culture of kindness and looking out for one another. We need to talk about this more, give it more attention, and keep strengthening our collective goodness. We, at the Kamloops Chronicle, feel it’s so important to share good news regularly and that’s what this space is about. We encourage you to submit your good news by calling 250 851-9630, emailing us at info@kamloopschronicle.com or sending us mail to PO Box 814, Station Main, Kamloops BC, V2C 5M8
HISTORY
Big Little Science Centre embraces education
June Corcoran: Columnist news@kamloopschronicle.com
Gordy [Ross Gore] said, ‘the word science is a verb,” explained Gord Stewart, Executive Director of the BIG Little Science Centre, and that verb is an action word which describes the Science Centre.
Stewart comes with a background in an IT Company, experience in salmon habitat, and a biology background. In 2005 he saw a help-wanted ad for the science centre and thought it would be a fun thing to do “I’m still here,” he said. “It was an opportunity to slow down and I’m still having fun.”
The Big Little Science Centre was brought to life by Gordon Ross Gore’s love of science and teaching which led to the opening of the BLSC where adults and children could experience hands-on science.
The BLSC’s purpose is to bring wonder for science via a ‘hands-on’ experience at 140 stations which support investigation. The centre is open to the public, although it is mostly available for school tours. Summer programs are available with some lasting as long as a week.
“Today the centre has exhibits in biology, physics, and chemistry. Topics include robotics, air pressure, properties of light and colour, shadows, reflection, and pattern, design, a ‘tech camp’ and film stop motion.”
Today the centre has exhibits in biology, physics and chemistry, noted Stewart. Topics include robotics, air pressure, properties of light and colour, shadows, reflection and pattern, design, a ‘tech’ camp, and film stop motion.
An exploration room, a static electricity show, and a summer science camp are also available.
The centre accommodates birthday parties and special events, school bookings, professional development days, Saturday programming, and homeschoolers.
After receiving a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Education in Science, Gore taught Science and Physics classes at a number of schools throughout Kamloops and Mission.
Over the years, Gore received a number of awards which acknowledged his influence on science.
In 1999 retirement found him demonstrating physics and science in school gyms; however, having to pack up
the equipment after each demonstration spurred the idea to have students come to a permanent location. And no matter the location, BLSC has kept to its mission of providing science education that engages students in an interactive approach for every age.
David Thompson Elementary School in Westsyde housed the big little Science Centre in one room in 2000. Bert Edwards School of Science, George Hillard Elementary, and Happy Vale were schools the Big Little Science Centre called home for various amounts of time.
School-based locations ended in 2019. Presently BLSC leases space from Tri City Canada and KamVan Holdings on Seymour Street, downtown, but they are currently looking for a permanent home, explained Stewart.
When Gorden S. Gore was diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) in 2002, he didn’t want the Centre to dis-
appear. A way was needed to raise funds, so the Big Little Science Centre Society was established and by 2003
was registered as a non-profit organization.
Stewart said he feels lucky to have spent time working with Gore while he was still able to participate in the work of BLSC.
Today curiosity and facts do the talking, and staff and volunteers are available to answer questions and help develop the scientif-
ic experience, commented Stewart. Stewart is full time and there are two part time permanent staff. The centre also hires summer students via grants when possible. Stewart would like to acknowledge A. Glover and S. Hammond for their longtime devoted volunteer service to BLSC over the years.
CITY PAGE
Council Calendar
August 11, 2026
1:30 pm Regular Meeting
August 18, 2026
10:00 am Committee of the Whole
August 31, 2026
9:00 am Livability and Sustainability Select Committee CANCELLED
1:30 pm Economic Health Select Committee CANCELLED
September 1, 2026
1:30 pm Regular Meeting
7:00 pm Public Hearing
Council Meeting Recap
Sign up for the Council Meeting Agendas and Highlights e ‑newsletter. Kamloops.ca/Subscribe
Every Drop Counts
Water conservation and restriction plans help protect our ecosystems; reduce the energy used to pump, treat, and distribute water; and maintain adequate water supply for emergency uses such as fire suppression.
What you need to know at any drought level:
• City of Kamloops potable water restrictions are based on the drought level for the South Thompson River due to the location of the intake.
• All customers who receive their water supply from the City’s potable water system are required to comply with the Water Use Restriction Plan.
• Have newly planted lawn or plants? You can apply for a water use exemption permit from the City that allows a resident or business to irrigate outside of the restrictions that have been established by the City.
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E-Newsletter
The City of Kamloops Monthly E‑Newsletter is a condensed summary of City news and stories, delivered straight to your inbox. Each edition highlights key updates, initiatives, and community information from across the City, making it simple to stay up to date on what matters most.
To stay connected, visit Kamloops.ca/Subscribe
Report an issue
Have a non emergency issue you want to report to the City, such as a pothole or a broken street light?
• Call 250-828-3461
• Use the MyKamloops™ Mobile App
• Visit KamloopsBC.CitySourced.ca
Stay Safe in the Heat
Summer weather is here. Stay cool out there, and be sure to check in on loved ones and neighbours (especially seniors) to make sure they’re staying hydrated and spending time in cool spaces. If you live alone, it’s smart to have a buddy who can check in on you.
Tips on how to stay cool:
• Drink plenty of water and other liquids to stay hydrated.
• Take it easy, especially during the hottest hours of the day.
• Seek cooler indoor and outdoor spaces.
• If you have air conditioning, be sure to turn it on. It does not need to be on as high as it can go to help keep you safe.
• Take a cool shower or put part of your body into a tepid bath.
• Wear a wet shirt or apply damp towels to your skin to cool down.
For more tips, visit Kamloops.ca/Heat
• Your watering day(s) is determined based on the last two digits of your street address. Watering with an automated or manual sprinkler is as follows:
• Drought Level 0-3: three days a week
• Drought Level 4: one day a week
• Drought Level 5: watering is not permitted
Be sure to familiarize yourself with the current restrictions and understand how they apply to your individual property. For more information, visit Kamloops.ca/Drought
Scan the QR code for the City’s up-to-date news and events
Election Officials Needed
The City of Kamloops is now accepting applications for election officials for the general local election on Saturday, October 17, 2026, as well as the advance voting days on October 7, 10, and 14. Each polling location will be open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.
To complete an application, visit Kamloops.ca/ElectionWorkers.
Alarm Users Encouraged to Learn New Rules Before September 1
Is your home or business secured through an alarm system? New alarm system rules take effect in Kamloops September 1, 2026, and alarm users are encouraged to understand the implications.
The City’s new Security Alarm System Bylaw is designed to reduce false alarms, which made up nearly 68% of alarm calls to the RCMP in 2025, using nearly 590 policing hours and costing taxpayers more than $61,000. The bylaw introduces graduated fees for excessive false alarms and outlines the expectations placed on alarm users to properly maintain and use their alarm systems.
To learn what the changes mean for you and how to avoid unnecessary fees, visit Kamloops.ca/FalseAlarm.
Call for Photos for the 2027 Calendar!
Residents of all skill levels and ages are invited to submit their digital photos for a chance to be featured in the 2027 City Calendar. We encourage submissions that highlight our City’s diverse population, urban landmarks, breathtaking environment, and variety of leisure activities.
Individuals with submissions selected for inclusion in the 2027 City Calendar or selected as a cover of a major publication in 2027 will receive public recognition on our website and social media channels and be awarded a one month Family Pass to the Tournament Capital Centre.
Submission Deadline: September 29, 2026, at 4:30 pm
For more information and to submit photos, visit Kamloops.ca/Calendar.
65,000 menstrual products headed to Thompson-Nicola-Cariboo
The United Way BC provincial drive surpasses collection goal, but demand for menstrual products continues to outpace supply
Anna Montaner: Reporter
More than 65,000 menstrual products are being distributed to organizations across the Thompson Nicola Cariboo region through United Way BC’s 2026 Period Promise campaign, helping improve access to essential supplies for people experiencing period poverty.
The regional distribution is part of a provincial campaign that collected 570,150 menstrual products, surpassing United Way BC’s goal of 525,000. Community members in the Thompson-NicolaCariboo region donated more than 13,000 products to support the initiative.
Despite exceeding its fundraising goal, United Way BC’s 2026 needs assessment found more than 120 organizations across British Columbia require nearly seven million menstrual products to meet current demand, supporting an estimated 162,758 people.
“Every day, thousands of people across British Columbia are facing these impossible challenges,” Chelsea Ingram, United Way BC’s campaign manager for the ThompsonNicola-Cariboo region said.
“There could be somebody sitting next to you who is going through the internal turmoil of not having products. They might be at school, they might be at work or out in the community, but they’re not focusing on work or school.”
People who cannot access menstrual products are often consumed by worries about managing their periods and may leave work or school as a result,
“They’re thinking, ‘Am I going to leak? Is it going to show? What if the inadequate protection I am using doesn’t work?’ A lot of times they end up leaving. It’s not because they don’t want to be there. Managing their period without basic supplies feels impossible,” Ingram said.
While the campaign’s total may seem significant, Ingram said it addresses only a fraction of the need identified across the province.
“Five hundred and seventy thousand products sounds like such a big number, and we’re so proud of our partners, the community and the sponsors who stepped up to help,” Ingram said. “But the need is over seven million menstrual products, so what we’ve collected will only fill the gap for
about three or four months across the province before organizations are looking for products again.”
About 13 community partners across the Thompson Nicola Cariboo region received products, with distributions reaching Williams Lake, 100 Mile House, Lytton, Clearwater, Merritt, Chase and surrounding communities.
Before each campaign, United Way BC asks partner organizations to estimate how many products they need so supplies can be distributed as fairly as possible.
“We ask our agency partners what they need and how much they need,” Ingram said. “Once the collection is complete and all the products are counted, we do our best to fill the gap based on those numbers.”
Ingram also credited local
businesses and volunteers for helping make the campaign possible, highlighting Kruger Pulp Mill for donating warehouse space to store products and assisting with distribution. Employees and volunteers helped prepare ship-
ments while community organizations collected products directly from the site.
“It’s such a simple fundraiser for workplaces to hold,” Ingram said. “Setting up a collection box and asking people to donate can truly change a
life. It’s a simple ask, but it can make all the difference in the world.”
As the campaign marks its 10th year, United Way BC hopes to continue expanding both product donations and awareness of period poverty.
BC Wildlife Park marks 60th anniversary with major Rotary investment
Three Kamloops Rotary clubs contribute $150,000 toward new splash park and family amenities
Anna Montaner: Reporter news@kamloopschronicle.com
The BC Wildlife Park is celebrating six decades of wildlife conservation, education, and community support while looking ahead to a new chapter with a reimagined splash park funded in part through local Rotary clubs.
The park officially opened on Aug. 16, 1966, and has grown into one of British Columbia’s best-known wildlife facilities. The first animal donated to the park was Tramp the ocelot. Other early residents included moose Demetrius and Gerda, Tiko the blonde gibbon, and Kampurr the cougar.
Over the years, the park has reached several significant milestones. In 1987, it earned national accreditation through the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums. In 2004, it received a CAZA Award of Excellence for its captive breed-
ing program for burrowing owls. In 2012, Clover arrived at the park, becoming the only Kermode bear living in human care.
The park marked its 60th anniversary during its annual BC Bear Day celebrations on Aug. 3, with visitors taking part in a day of family activities, educational programming, and commemorative events. The celebration included the unveiling of a new park mascot, a 60th anniversary ceremony, and a cake-cutting to recognize the milestone.
While the anniversary celebrated the park’s history, it also highlighted one of its most significant capital projects in years.
Three Kamloops Rotary clubs have committed a combined $150,000 toward the construction of a new splash park. The Rotary Club of Kamloops Aurora Centennial donated $25,000, the Rotary Club of Kamloops West contributed $50,000, and the Rotary Club of Kamloops Daybreak provided $75,000.
The funding has been earmarked specifically for the splash park, which is being built as part of broader improvements to the park’s children’s play area.
The new splash park has been rede-
Two welcoming communities. One trusted name.
fundraising effort supported by community donors.
According to the BC Wildlife Park, the approved Phase 1 budget for the project is $1.394 million, with the total estimated cost expected to reach nearly $1.8 million once the final phase is funded and completed. The overall project is targeted for completion in the spring or summer of 2027.
Rotary is also supporting the park through a 50/50 lottery with a total prize pool of $40,000, with half awarded to the winner and the remaining proceeds benefiting the BC Wildlife Park. The draw is scheduled for Aug. 31.
Another fundraising initiative, the Kamloops Rotary and BC Wildlife Park Legacy Brick Program, allows families, individuals and businesses to purchase commemorative engraved bricks in support of the new children’s playground, creating a lasting legacy while helping fund the project.
signed with interactive, nature-inspired features, areas intended for visitors of different ages and accessibility as a key consideration. The project also includes upgrad-
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ed washroom facilities. The splash park is expected to open in August, while the adjacent playground is scheduled for completion in 2027.
The splash park is part of a larger
As the BC Wildlife Park reflects on 60 years of caring for British Columbia’s wildlife, the anniversary also showed the continued investment from local organizations working to ensure the park remains a destination for future generations.
Photo by Olsen Imaging
The BC Wildlife Park’s splash park has been reimagined as part of the 60th anniversary.
If you received a copy of the Kamloops Chronicle in the mail this month, you are part of a small awareness campaign. We have not altered our distribution model and copies remain available throughout the community at regular drop sites as listed in the paper and on our website.
more information or to sign up to support your community paper, scan the code:
Photo by Olsen Imaging
Three Kamloops Rotary contributed more than $150,000 towards the new splash park and other amenities at the BC Wildlife Park as part of its 60th anniversary celebration. Pictured here are Jeff Claicar, vice president on BCWP Board, Nandi Spolia, past President of Aurora Rotary Club and Wendy Marlow, Board Director.
Kamloops’ mystery snake — the Rubber Boa
Maria Collins: Submitted
People living in Kamloops are fortunate to share the landscape with six of the nine snakes found within BC. We have two types of garter snakes, the fast (and well-named) Racer, and the impressive Gophersnake and Rattlesnake; however, the most ancient member of the Kamloops snake community is the Rubber Boa, which also happens to be most cryptic member and, as a result, the least known.
Our Rubber Boa is the most northern member of the Boa Family, which includes the monstrous Anaconda and Boa Constrictor of the tropics. However, a 30-inch Rubber Boa would be a very large example of the species. They are completely harmless, hunting small mammals like mice and voles, which they constrict in a fashion similar to their big cousins.
The Boa Family is an ancient lineage of snakes, and one of their most interesting features is that they still possess a pair of tiny spurs on their underside, that are actually the remnants of hind legs (it is generally agreed that snakes evolved from lizards).
A more tell-tale feature of the Rubber Boas is its blunt tail, which has led to the animal sometimes being referred to as the ‘double headed snake’. When cornered, the Rubber Boa coils up in a ball and may wave the tail like a head decoy.
Southern BC is the only part of Canada where the Rubber Boa can be found, but being cryptic and slow moving, the animal is seen not very often! From what we know, the snake spends a fair bit of its summer life under cover, and even when it is out in the open, its resemblance to a stick often tricks people into unknowingly passing it by.
The animal is considered ‘Special Concern’ under the federal Species at Risk Act
(SARA), but the lack of data on the species here in Canada greatly hampers further conservation assessment.
How do you learn more about the Rubber Boa, when it is secretive and rare? The BC Boa Project, based at TRU, is attempting to do just this. Researchers are working to understand the life of the Rubber Boa in this northern region.
One of the objectives of the project is to understand if there are specific times of the day and seasons when these animals are more likely to be detected by inventory biologists. This summer, Rubber Boas are being radio-tracked
in several parts of the province, including the Kamloops region, to understand their habitat choices, movements, and visibility at different times and conditions.
Because Rubber Boas are so difficult to find, community members who encounter the snake are asked to report their observation. This can be done in two ways: by emailing BCBoa@tru.ca, or by going to the BC Reptiles & Amphibians webpage and filling out the reporting form.
Attaching a photo along with location data is extremely valuable, but no handling of the animal should take place. Please leave this
harmless little snake alone! These reports help us better understand where and when the animals are observed.
The BC Reptiles & Amphibian webpage (www. bcreptilesandamphibians.ca) also is a great source of information on the charming little cousin of the Anaconda, and all the other snakes in our province. It provides images of all the snake species found in BC to help you distinguish between them. For Rubber Boas, however, just look for the solid colour and blunt tail!
Maria Collins is a graduate student at TRU studying the Rubber Boa.
Photo by Maria Collins
Open Door Group’s Gardengate celebrates 25 years
By Juli Harland: Reporter news@kamloopschronicle.com
For 25 years, Open Door Group’s Gardengate Horticulture Program has been proving that a garden can grow far more than vegetables.
The Kamloops program supports adults aged 17 and older living with mental health challenges or addictions by offering a hands-on environment where participants build practical skills, confidence, and meaningful connections while working in a certified organic garden and greenhouse. This summer, Gardengate is celebrating its 25th anniversary alongside another milestone,
the 20th annual Gardengate Salsa Challenge.
While the Salsa Challenge has become a popular community tradition, it represents just one afternoon in a program that works all yearround to improve the lives of participants, volunteers, and the community at large.
Rather than focusing on classroom instruction, Gardengate encourages participants to learn by doing. Days are spent planting, tending and harvesting vegetables, working in the greenhouse, learning about cooking and healthy eating, volunteering in the community, and building practical skills that can carry into future employment.
“The biggest thing about
it is the connection,” said Gardengate program assistant Mia Duncan. “We garden, we cook, we build a lot of skills.”
That sense of connection is what lives at the heart of the Gardengate program.
Gardengate is designed to improve mental wellness, build self-confidence, encourage physical activity, and help participants develop practical life and employment skills. Maybe more importantly, it also creates a place where people can build relationships and reduce the isolation and stigma that can often accompany mental health and addiction challenges.
“A lot of it is food security, and a place for people to connect with peers,” Duncan said. “So many people are in
isolation. This gives somewhere to meet people and build relationships.”
The program’s impact reaches well beyond the garden gates.
In 2024, Gardengate harvested more than 17,000 pounds of produce while supporting 56 participants and contributing more than 5,700 volunteer hours. Since the program began 25 years ago, more than 1,500 people have participated.
Fresh produce grown at Gardengate is donated to the Kamloops Food Bank and Mount Paul Community Centre, while the Produce on Wheels initiative distributes program-grown produce bags through six community partner organizations to help
improve access to fresh food for lower-income individuals. The public can also purchase freshly harvested produce during weekly sales at the Gardengate site between 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Monday to Friday.
For Duncan, the program’s welcoming atmosphere is what makes the job so exciting.
“I’ve never worked in a place that made me lose sleep because I was so happy to come to work,” she said.
The community is invited to experience Gardengate firsthand during the 20th annual Salsa Challenge on Aug. 21 at 915 Southill St.
Running from 12:30 to 3 p.m., the event features more than 10 communi-
ty teams competing for People’s Choice, Team Spirit, and Chef’s Choice awards. Visitors can sample salsa, vote for their favourites, and enjoy garden tours, live music, games, prizes, a photo booth, and information booths hosted by participating organizations.
More than a friendly competition, the Salsa Challenge is an opportunity to celebrate the volunteers, participants, staff, and community partners who have helped Gardengate grow over the past quarter of a century. It is also a chance for residents to see how a simple garden has become a place where food, friendship, and community all come together to grow something pretty amazing.
Photo submitted by Open Door Gardengate
COMMUNITY
Life changes when the skies turn grey with smoke
This morning, I stood at my window and searched for the hills. They had disappeared overnight.
In their place was a wall of smoke, thick and quiet against the glass. Before I had taken a single breath outside, I felt my chest tighten. Some of that tightness was physical. Most of it, I suspect, was grief.
There is a particular heaviness that comes with fire season. The heat presses down. The sun becomes a dim orange circle. The activities that usually restore us — a morning walk, an evening on the patio, or a swim in the lake suddenly carry an asterisk. We check the air quality index the way we once checked the weather, and our lives shrink. It can feel as though summer itself has been taken from us.
Perhaps the grey sky leaves you restless, anxious, irritable, or unexpectedly sad. Perhaps you feel guilty for struggling when someone else has lost a home, a community, or someone they love. Yet grief is not a competition. We can
be grateful for what remains while mourning what has changed.
The smoke asks something of us beyond closed windows and air purifiers. It asks us to practise a quieter, more deliberate kind of care.
The body comes first. On heavysmoke days, I move my exercise indoors and make it gentler. Stretching on the living-room floor counts. So does walking the hallway or climbing the stairs. Hydration matters, as does rest. When the air quality is poor, follow local health advice, keep windows closed, use an air purifier if available, and wear a well-fitted respirator, such as an N95, if you must go outside. Heat and smoke tire us in ways we may not recognize. Fatigue is a message from the body, not a personal failing.
The mind needs tending to. I turn on a lamp in the middle of the day, play music, or call someone I love. I limit how often I check the fire maps. There is a difference between staying informed and marinating in dread. A few minutes may help us prepare;
AMY
TUCKER
hours can leave us frightened and powerless.
The hardest practice is accepting what I cannot control. I cannot bargain with the wind or worry a wildfire into submission. My task is not to pretend the sky is blue. It is to live as well as I can beneath the sky that is here.
There is room, even now, for tenderness. Text the neighbour with asthma. Check on the person who lives alone. Offer an air-conditioned room, a meal, a ride, or a listening ear. Prepare an emergency kit with masks, water, medications, non-perishable food,
Local News, Local Impact
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The Kamloops Chronicle represents a collaborative effort on behalf of our community in sustaining local journalism. Our goal is to have a minimum of 1,000 regular donors to ensure the regular publication of our local newspaper. Your support will help us continue to tell our community’s stories, whether it’s a one time, occasional or monthly donation.
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Please scan the QR code above or send donation cheques to the “Kamloops Local News Society” at PO Box 814, Main Post Office, Kamloops, BC V2C 5M8, call 250-851-9630 or visit:
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“Perhaps the grey sky leaves you restless, anxious, irritable, or unexpectedly sad. Perhaps you feel guilty for struggling when someone else has lost a home, a community, or someone they love. Yet grief is not a competition. We can be grateful for what remains while mourning what has changed.”
flashlights, batteries, and copies of important documents. Learn your evacuation route, respect fire restrictions, and support people who have been displaced.
Smoke isolates us behind closed doors, but care can still travel between them.
If the sky is grey today, begin with one act of care. Close the window. Drink the water. Rest without apology. Check on someone. Find out whether your community offers a cleaner-air space, and know where you will go if conditions worsen.
Grey skies eventually change.
Notice of Application for a Disposition of Crown Land
Take notice that We, Overlander Ski Club, from Kamloops, BC have applied to the British Columbia Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship (WLRS), Kamloops for a Recreational License of Occupation situated on Provincial Crown land located at Stake Lake Recreation Site.
WLRS invites comments on this application. The Lands File is #3414126. Written comments concerning this application should be directed to the Senior Land Authorizations Specialist, Kamloops, WLRS, at 441 Columbia Street, Kamloops, BC V2C 2T3. Comments will be received by WLRS up to August 12th 2026. WLRS may not be able to consider comments received after this date.
Please visit the Applications, Comments and Reasons for Decision Database website at http://comment.nrs.gov.bc.ca/ for more information.
Be advised that any response to this advertisement will be considered part of the public record. Access to these records requires the submission of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. Visit http://www.gov.bc.ca/ freedomofinformation to learn more about FOI submissions.
Until they do, let us care for our bodies, one another, and the world waiting just beyond the smoke. We may not be able to clear the sky, but we can make certain no one faces it alone.
Dr. Amy Tucker proudly calls herself an “accidental athlete.” A senior competitive swimmer and long-distance open-water enthusiast, she has represented Canada as a member of the Age-Group Triathlon Team for the past three years. Amy encourages others to embrace health, movement, and new challenges at every stage of life, proving that it is never too late to begin.
Welcoming Wellness
The BC condo bailout: Who benefits?
This is part one of a planned three-part piece on the B.C. housing crisis. Parts two and three will appear in the following months.
Some announcements land with a thud. Others land with a thud, then roll downhill, gathering debris. The federal and provincial governments’ June 2026 plan to spend up to $1.45 billion buying roughly 2,200 unsold condominium units falls into the second category.
The idea is to convert them into a rent-to-buy pathway for middle-income renters who cannot afford a down payment. Noble enough on paper. But here is the thing about paper: just like faulty policies, they fold.
Across Metro Vancouver, newly built condos sit empty at levels not seen in more than two decades. Benchmark prices have fallen. Some developers are returning deposits because they cannot meet presale thresholds. Others have entered receivership.
The market, in its clumsy, cruel way, is trying to correct itself. When you build housing priced for investors and short-term rentals in a province where wages have not kept pace with housing costs for years, unsold inventory is the logical result. The logical next step is for prices to fall until working people can afford them.
That is how markets learn to self-correct. They make mistakes, trip, and then they bleed. Free-market theory says we should let them. Instead, the B.C. government is stepping in with a pre-emptive blood transfusion.
Whether that is a rescue or a bailout depends on whether the primary beneficiary is the developer offloading units he cannot sell, or the renter
who gets a shot at ownership. Both things can be true. But here is what should give any reader pause.
According to a Global News analysis of financial disclosures published in June 2026, roughly two in five of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s cabinet earn rental income or hold real estate investments. Immigration
Minister Lena Metlege Diab owns or co-owns 14 rental units in Halifax.
Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne owns rental properties in London. Every member of the 38-person ministry owns a home. Not one rents their principal residence.
Before we reach for the torches, though, some context. In Canada, historically, two-thirds of households have owned their homes. Political recruitment favours established professionals with assets and networks. A property-owning cabinet is not automatically evidence of corruption. It is evidence of who gets selected for leadership in a society where wealth and homeownership are tightly correlated.
But that selection shapes perspective. When a legislative body contains no one who has experienced a no-fault eviction, a lease renewal that doubles the rent, or the arithmetic of choosing between groceries and housing, the urgency of renter protections diminishes. Not because anyone acts in bad faith. But because the problem sits too far from them to feel urgent or personal.
An axe voting for an axe will chop down the whole forest before it notices there is no wood left for its own handle. The tool destroys the material it depends on. The people deciding whether to let the housing market self-correct are the same people whose net worth depends on it not correcting. No conspiracy. Only alignment.
RADHIKA TABREZ Social Justice Watch
Except, what good is an inflated housing market when no one can afford to buy a home anymore?
The forest is already thinning. For Canadians aged 25–29, homeownership has dropped from roughly 44 percent to roughly 36 percent in the span of a generation. That is not a blip. That is a generation being priced out of the asset that has defined middle-class stability in this country for decades. If that cohort never catches up, the national homeownership rate, which looks stable now because older owners are ageing in place, will eventually follow.
But the problem runs deeper than ownership rates. In Vancouver, a median home costs roughly 10–13 times median household income. A generation ago, that ratio was roughly half. Wages have crept up slowly. Housing costs have sprinted. The gap between what people earn and what shelter costs has become a chasm.
And the market has responded by building housing for the people who can bridge that chasm with investment capital, inherited wealth, or short-term rental income, not for the people who earn their living by working.
That is where the condo purchase becomes more than a housing policy. It becomes a signal. Build expen-
sive housing for investors and if the investors disappear, the government will find a way to absorb the risk. Build affordable housing for the poor, and if the budget tightens, that programme can vanish without a line of explanation. Markets learn from signals faster than they learn from subsidies.
This is not about individuals. It is about a structure that predates them all, one that took shape through Canada’s earliest housing legislation, widened briefly in the 1970s, and closed again in 1993 when both Progressive Conservative and Liberal governments treated social housing as discretionary while protecting mortgage insurance as permanent infrastructure. British Columbia is now repeating that same decision, almost line for line. The question is not simply “who benefits?” but “what would it take to build a system where the answer stops being so predictable?”
Where This Leaves British Columbia
CBC News reported in February 2026 that the province had suspended its Community Housing Fund, a program the Union of BC Municipalities says had already delivered more than 13,000 non-market homes since 2018, with roughly 100 more projects worth hundreds of millions in the pipeline. The province’s own budget document did not include a line explaining the change.
UBCM president Cori Ramsay learned what had actually happened only after asking government officials what “reallocating $1.4 billion” from the housing strategy actually meant.
Weeks later, the province and Ottawa jointly announced the condo purchase plan: up to $1.45 billion for 2,200 units.
These are not the same dollars, though. Ottawa and Victoria’s own breakdown puts roughly $145 million toward the plan from the federal government, a similar amount in direct provincial funding, and the remainder financed rather than drawn from a grant pool. The two announcements are not a direct transfer. It is the sequencing of these decisions that is harder to dispute: a government that could not sustain grant funding for non-profits building homes for the poorest renters found, within the same budget year, financing for a program serving renters who do not qualify for that help in the first place.
The suspension had real costs already on the books. Housing groups in Surrey and Squamish had spent millions preparing shovel-ready projects when the funding disappeared. The Union of BC Municipalities reports that dozens of approved Indigenous housing projects took a disproportionate hit in the same funding freeze.
The next column in this series will examine what that trade-off actually reveals: who the housing system was built to help, what the research says about the costs of not building, and what a government that wanted to break this pattern would actually need to do differently. Not whether every middle-income renter should be left to fend for themselves — they should not — but whether a system that keeps cycling between temporary programs and sudden freezes can ever deliver the stability that housing, of all needs, requires.
Social Justice Watch is a column about structural patterns in public policy based on the author’s research. The author welcomes constructive feedback, factual corrections and substantive counterarguments at news@kamloopschronicle.com.
Goodbye Weeds, Hello Straw: A Simpler Way to Garden
Master Gardeners are part of a network of not-for-profit associations across North America.
Members share a common interest — a passion for gardening and a willingness to share (at no cost) environmentally responsible gardening knowledge within their communities. Operating under the umbrella of the British Columbia Master Gardeners, the Thompson Shuswap Master Gardeners chapter was established in 2010, and its members have volunteered 10,000-plus
hours throughout the Thompson Shuswap region.
After weeks spent pulling weeds, I reached a stopping point.
Every weekend seemed to involve another round of back-breaking bending, tugging at stubborn invaders that appeared to multiply overnight. By June, I was ready for a different approach. So, this summer, instead of planting vegetables in the ground,
I’m trying something entirely new: a straw bale garden. One of the advantages of straw bale gardening is its flexibility — bales can be placed on most sunny surfaces, including driveways, patios, lawns, and other areas that receive at least six to eight hours of sunlight each day.
Before hauling bales into my yard, I did my homework. I found a three-part Master Gardeners’ YouTube series and downloaded their free
guide on straw bale gardening. What I learned was surprisingly fascinating.
Straw isn’t hay! Straw is the leftover stem from cereal crops like wheat, oats, rye, rice, and barley after the grain has been harvested. Those lightweight golden stalks are mostly weed-free, hold moisture well, and can become a growing medium all on their own.
The process begins with “conditioning” the bales.
Over about 17 days, the bales are fed nitrogen-rich organic fertilizers and watered. The nitrogen jump-starts decomposition inside the bale, creating nutrients and warmth that plants can later use. It’s about 5 minutes of daily work with a few unpleasant odors that turns a straw bale into a giant composting sponge.
Armed with new knowledge, I headed to the local feed store and bought two wheat straw bales, searching for ones with the cut ends facing upward to make conditioning easier. I also made sure the straw hadn’t been treated with glyphosate, a persistent herbicide that can damage or kill vegetable plants. Then I visited the garden center and stocked up on organic fertilizers, including feather meal.
At this point, I should admit something: this may actually be more work than weeding.
For the next 17 days, my routine involved following the conditioning schedule; some days require three cups of organic feather meal per bale, followed by a thorough water soaking. Other days are simply watering days. By Day 10, I add phosphorus and potassium to complete the conditioning process. Then comes the hard part—waiting another five days before planting.
If all goes according to plan, the bales will become raised
garden beds capable of growing tomatoes, squash, herbs, and other summer favorites. Seedlings are tucked into pockets of the conditioned straw bale, or seeds can even be planted directly on top. Will this save me from future battles with weeds? Time will tell.
For now, I’m enjoying the experiment. Gardening has a way of teaching patience, fueling curiosity, and growing humility. This year, it is also teaching me that sometimes the solution to a problem isn’t to pull harder — it’s to try something completely different.
If you’re curious about straw bale gardening, check out Straw Bale Gardens by Joel Karsten (2013) or the free resources available through Master Gardener programs. Video series: www.youtube. com/watch?v=Zr6vcwS-5KI and Straw Bale Conditioning Schedule ucanr.edu/sites/ default/files/2025-05/211405. pdf
Meet Warren, the quiet hero who has never given up
We all have our ups and downs. An injury or illness can slow us down. In fact, there are people who stop trying to stay fit when they are disappointed by one of those. And when you are aging and get hit with two or three limitations all at once — say diabetes, a broken hip, and arthritis — it’s easy to throw in the towel.
Warren didn’t throw in the towel.
Twenty-six years ago, a young man at the time, Warren was hit with a massive stroke that left him in a coma for seven days and in the hospital for a month. Not everyone wakes up from one of those and Warren admits that when he did it felt as if his brains were “scrambled.” Interestingly, he does not recall being discouraged.
The stroke caused a brain injury, aphasia, which impedes ability to speak, read and write. There is no drop in intelligence but a drop in the brain’s ability to put words together, process information. He has challenges finding the right words when speaking.
His parents refused to treat that stroke as the end of Warren’s story. They were committed to bringing him back. Fortunately, they were both physically active and knew physical fitness was the road to recovery. They took Warren home and worked with the medical team, right alongside Warren throughout his rehab. It started with intensive physiotherapy, first of all working in the water. He credits his parents with supporting and encouraging him every step of the way. “A lot of rewards.”
Warren was a young man when he had the stroke. He describes that in his prestroke life he played sports — baseball, hockey, and racquetball, and he skied. But, Warren added, he “played hard … It was a really bad life. It was party, party,
“Twenty-six years ago, a young man at the time, Warren was hit with a massive stroke that left him in a coma for seven days and in the hospital for a month. Not everyone wakes up from one of those and Warren admits that when he did it felt as if his brains were ‘scrambled.’ Interestingly, he does not recall being discouraged.”
MARG ARCHIBALD Aging Fitfully
party.” That was fun while it lasted but he’s the first to admit “… it couldn’t go on.” And it didn’t.
His mother and stepdad never let up supporting Warren during his struggle to come back. Weeks, months, years of hard work. Where has that brought Warren?
Today he gets around in a motorized chair and travels in Handi-DART. He also turns up at the Kamloops Y three days a week and works out in the weight room. His workout challenges him from the moment he arrives. Rolling up to a weight machine, Warren applies the parking brake on his chair and hoists himself onto first weight machine and then another. He is strong, working at high weights, “… up to 216 pounds on the leg press.” As he says, “Strength isn’t my problem, it’s balance.”
He does his cardio on the recumbent bike, locking his feet into the straps and working at “… level 11.” You can only do that with strong legs.
Warren sees that “… working out at the Y makes a huge difference …” He sees “improvement over time. It shows progress in everything, all around beneficial. That keeps me motivated.”
Watching Warren work out puts the rest of us to shame. Not only is he doing his workout, but he also brings to the gym a sunny disposition. He chuckles and teases and shares. He encourages others because by now Warren knows a lot about lifting.
“I personally find that health is important. Keep myself in primo shape. I’m an organ donor so I want to pass on healthy organs.”
When you are feeling bored, lazy, distracted or just don’t feel like keeping up your fitness, come back and listen to Warren at www.youtube.com/@ agingfitfully. His infectious laugh, his cheerful smile, there is much to admire. Warren teaches us all resilience.
He summarizes his world view: “We take so much for granted. Every day is very important.” And adds, “I live alone which is quite something.” Yes, Warren it certainly is.
When you are discouraged, when your body has taken a downturn, whatever the cause, when your spirits are at a low ebb, come back and spend time with Warren. There is plenty there to teach and encourage us. Thank you, Warren. You are like a pole star, leading the way to fitness, regardless of our challenges.
The Kamloops Chronicle represents a collaborative effort on behalf of our community in sustaining local journalism. Your support will help us continue to tell our community’s stories, whether it’s an occasional or regular donation. So many readers have expressed how happy they are to have a local newspaper again. Let’s keep the pages rolling off the press. Please scan the QR code; send donation cheques made out to the “Kamloops Local News Society” and send to: PO Box 814, Main Post Office, Kamloops, BC V2C 5M8 or visit the website.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Classic cars take centre stage in Kamloops this August
Juli Harland: Reporter news@kamloopschronicle.com
Classic cars, trucks, semis, custom builds, and even motorcycles will be rolling into Kamloops this August as two events celebrate the community’s passion for amazing automotive history, design, and customization.
The month begins with the 32nd annual Hot Nite in the City on Aug. 7 and 8 in downtown Kamloops. This community event brings thousands of people out to both participate and marvel at the amazing rides that are on display. At the end of the month, on Aug. 29, the Kamloops Classic Car Show and Sell is at McArthur Island Park. Open to “anything with a motor,” this show promises a vast array of rides to thrill and delight. Together, the events give residents and visitors two opportunities to explore hundreds of unique vehicles of all kinds while connecting with the people who own and restore them.
For more than 30 years, Hot Nite in the City has been a summer tradition in Kamloops. The event transforms six blocks of Victoria Street into a showcase of classic and collector vehicles, drawing participants and spectators from across the region. According to organizers, planning begins many months in advance and depends on a dedicated team of volunteers to bring the weekend together.
Visitors can expect to see everything from vintage automobiles and American muscle cars to street rods, customs, imports, motorcycles, race vehicles, and big rigs. Live entertainment, vendors, and food help create a festival atmo-
sphere that appeals to more than just automotive enthusiasts.
The weekend gets underway on Friday with a Poker Run, pedal-powered drag races and the popular Truck Light Show. Saturday’s Show & Shine runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., followed by the annual awards presentation.
Later in the month, the celebration continues with the Kamloops Classic Car Show and Sell on Saturday, Aug. 29 at McArthur Island Park. Running from noon until 7 p.m., the event welcomes cars, trucks, and motorcycles, with organizers encouraging “anything
with a motor” to participate. Along with the vehicle displays, the event includes vendors and opportunities to buy and sell vehicles and automotive-related items.
While each event has its own personality, both celebrate the same thing: the time, craftsmanship, and pride that go into preserving classic and custom vehicles. For many owners, every vehicle has a story. Some have been restored over many years, while others have been passed down through generations of a family. The time and attention given to all of them is evident in the pride
of the owners and their amazing rides.
The events also offer something for people who simply enjoy spending a beautiful Kamloops summer day outdoors. Families can meander through rows of fabulously restored vehicles, chat with owners, admire the craftsmanship and maybe even daydream about having one of their own.
For the record, my daydream car is a 1959 Karmann Ghia Coupe Convertible. Maybe someday.
Kamloops has a long-established classic car community. The Kamloops Chapter of the Vintage
Car Club of Canada was formed in 1972 and continues to bring enthusiasts together through different club activities and events all throughout the year, including events like these.
Whether visitors are lifelong car enthusiasts or simply curious to see what the excitement is about, August offers two chances to experience one of Kamloops’ favourite summer traditions. Between the energy of downtown during Hot Nite in the City and the relaxed atmosphere of the Classic Car Show and Sell, there is something for everyone to enjoy.
NIGHTLIFE
August 12 @ 7:00 pm at Bright Eye Brewing, Rebellious Unicorns presents: Ella’s Naughty Drag Bingo! Join Rebellious Unicorns for a riotous evening of drag, daubers, and deliciously inappropriate prizes at Naughty Drag Bingo! With Ella Lamoureux at the mic, expect Debauchery, cheek, and a few questionable life choices, just how they like it.
August 22 @ 5:00 pm at Night Shift on Fifth: Beyond 30’s Daytime Party! Your kind of crowd, your kind of party! We’re bringing hours of good vibes, great music and unforgettable moments. Over 30s Daytime Clubbing is your chance to relive the peak of the 80s, 90s & 2000s clubbing scene. Get ready for: Club Classics, Light Shows, Resident DJs. Tickets online at Fatsoma
August 27 @ 6:00 pm at Night Shift on Fifth: Midget Wrestling Warriors presents: Destiny Awakened 2026 Tour - Midget Wrestling Live! This isn’t just a wrestling show—it’s an experience. Expect jaw-dropping moments, crowd interaction, big personalities, and memories that will have everyone talking long after the final bell rings. Whether you’re coming with friends, coworkers, or making it a full night out, this is one event you don’t want to miss.
MUSIC
July 1 to August 31 @ 7:00 to 8:30 pm at Riverside Park Bandshell: Music in the Park! The summer concert season brings a variety of blues, rock, classics, country, tribute bands, and more that will appeal to the whole family. Food Trucks will be in Heritage House parking lot (100 Lorne Street) every evening starting at 6:00 pm. The performance schedule and food truck availability are subject to change without notice.
August 30 @ 7:00 pm at the Bridgeview Theatre: Journeyman Productions presents: Nameless King - Tour of the Sunless Realms with Thirteen Goats, Torsion, and Deranged. All ages show, $15 presale, $20 at the door.
September 4 @ 7:00 pm at the Paramount Theatre: Credence Clearwater Relived. Bad Moon Rider’s CCR Tribute Concert. Get ready for the Epic Return of Creedence Clearwater Relived as the Bad Moon Riders Electrify the legendary CCR Songs back to life! Experience all your favorite hits live and in person with Members Of BTO and the Headpins.
COMEDY
Aug 13, 20, 27 @ 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Stock Pot Cafe: Improv Classes with the Freudian Slips. At this beginner improv class, you’ll learn the improv skills like “Yes and”, justifying, characterization and world building, structure of a scene , and more! Perfect for new and experienced actors, or anyone looking to build their confidence at doing things on-the-fly. 4 weekly classes starting Aug 13. $10 per class or 4 for $30.
August 30 @ 2:00 pm at Stock Pot Cafe: Monthly Improv Comedy Jam. Slim to nil educational component - don’t expect a lesson, but also no experience required, just a good attitude. Participation not mandatory. Admission by donation.
September 5 @ 7:0 pm at Sagebrush Theatre: Hyprov: Improv under Hypnosis! From the minds of improv legend Colin Mochrie (Whose Line Is It Anyway?) and world-renowned hypnotist Asad Mecci, HYPROV is a boundary-breaking comedy experience that fuses hypnosis and improvisation into one electrifying show.
DANCE
August 16 @ 7:00 pm at St. Paul’s Cathedral. Kamloops Social Club presents August Dance Social! Join the Kamloops Social Club for an evening of dancing. Enjoy music by popular entertainer Bob King, featuring a mix of pop and country favourites. Door prizes and a 50/50 draw will also be part of the evening. Admission: $15 at the door. Everyone is welcome.
EVENTS ROUND-UP
August 23 @ 1:30 pm at Mr. Mike’s Steak House: Latin Dance Social Party. A fun and welcoming afternoon of music, movement, and connection under the open sky. This relaxed social event invites dancers of all experience levels to enjoy an exciting mix of Salsa, Bachata, Merengue, and other Latin dance styles. Whether you’re stepping onto the dance floor for the first time or you’re a seasoned dancer, friendly instructors will be available throughout the event to offer guidance, encouragement, and dance partners when needed.
THEATRE
August 7 @ 7:30 to 9:00 pm at the Paramount Theatre: Cat Video Fest 2026! A compilation of the latest and best cat videos culled from countless hours of unique submissions and sourced animations, music videos, and classic internet powerhouses. A portion of ticket proceeds from this screening supports Sammy’s Forgotten Felines!
COMMUNITY
Aug 7, 14, 21, 28, Sept 4 @ 6:30 to 9:30 pm at The Game Hub: Friday Night Magic: Standard. Test your Magic: The Gathering skills and take your gameplay to the next level! Standard is the perfect format to start picking up competitive Magic and mastering the game. If you don’t have a deck or aren’t ready to make the commitment just yet, no worries! We’ve got store decks available to borrow so you can dive right into the action without missing a beat.
August 8 @ 9:00 am to 5:00 pm downtown Kamloops on Victoria Street. Hot Nites in the City! For thirty years, Hot Nite in the City has created a downtown attraction for car enthusiasts. Six city blocks in Downtown Kamloops are closed off to allow Street Rods, Customs, American Muscle, Sport-Compact, Tuners, British, European, Asian, Collector, Vintage, Motorcycles, Race, Competition Vehicles, and Big Rigs to join in on the streets along with live music and vendors
August 14 to 16 at 1055 University Drive: Chillerpilar and House of Cards Abbotsford present: Chillerpillar Open 2026. The Chillerpillar is a weekend of Magic the Gathering events hosted in Kamloops in support of a community member who is currently battling Cancer. Check Orchardcitygames.ca for more info.
August 14 @ 5:00 to 7:00 pm at 421 St Paul Street, Valid Dreams Foundation presents: Cultural Themed Dinners 2026! Celebrate the rich diversity of cultures from around the world at this monthly community gathering in the heart of Kamloops. Explore different continents through culture, cuisine, fashion, music, dance, and tradition. Check Eventbrite for details.
August 21 @ 12:30 to 3:00 pm at Gardengate 915 Southhill: Salsa Challenge 2026. Gardengate welcomes everyone to drop in and sample salsas from 10+ community teams and cast their vote for the People’s Choice and Team Spirit awards. The Chef’s Choice will be awarded by local Salsa experts. There will be plenty more fun to be had, including a photo booth, garden tours, live music, food, and plenty of opportunities to catch up with old and new friends.
August 28 @ 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at Riverside Park East end. Annual Senior’s Picnic. The event features musical entertainment, setting the perfect backdrop for a picnic-style hot dog lunch served by the Kamloops Paddlewheelers Lions Club. In addition to entertainment, the event offers gentle fitness exercises with chair yoga and chair Zumba as well as lawn games. The event is free; however, registration is required.
August 29 @ 12:00 to 7:00 pm at MacArthur Island Park. Kamloops Classic Car Show. Join in on the fun happening on August 29th at beautiful McArthur Island Park. This event is not limited to just cars; bring your truck or motorcycle (anything with a motor is encouraged)
September 5 @ 10:00 am to 12:00 pm at MacArthur Island Park: Suicide Prevention Day Walk. Join in a walk to bring the community together around the topic of suicide, contribute to changing the narrative, reduce the stigma, and provide hope and healing to those impacted by suicide. T-shirts (first 150 attendees), tote bags, resources, activities, and snacks will be provided. Everything at the event is free, and no registration is needed.
BUSINESS
August 21 @ 9:00 am to 5:00 pm at locations around Kamloops: Lemonade Day 2026. For a map of locations, head to local.lemonadeday.org/ kamloops . Young entrepreneurs from across Kamloops will be setting up their Lemonade Day stands and putting their business skills to the test! After months of planning, budgeting, goal-setting, and working their way through the My Lemonade Day App, these incredible young “Minipreneurs” are ready to serve customers and share their hard work with the community.
SPORTS
August 21to 23 @ 11:00 am to 5:00 pm at 1550 Ord Road: Cactus Classic Nationals. Don’t miss the best Nationals Race on the circuit this season! Kamloops BMX is hosting the Cactus Classic Nationals August 21-23. Join this event for information on parking, camping, accommodations, and things to do in Kamloops while you are here!
August 24 @ 6:00 to 9:00 pm at Kamloops Kia: Logan Stankoven Fan Meet and Greet Night. Come say hi to Logan in person, snap a photo, grab an autograph, and connect with fellow fans! This is your chance to celebrate one of Kamloops’ very own hockey stars.
PLEASE NOTE: Events are listed for the upcoming calendar month and beyond, but due to limited space, priority is given to events occurring closest to the publishing date of the current issue.
Event listings are free of charge and can be sent by email to events@kamloopschronicle.com
Please ensure your event is submitted by the 20th of the previous month
SPORTS
Pretorius to chase mountain bike success on international stage
It seems fitting to pen a column on Megan Pretorius in a Chronicle sports section that includes an article on superb swimmer Mia Wittal.
They share trajectory and pedigree, albeit in separate sports, and are among the most promising young athletes in the Tournament Capital.
Pretorius landed on my radar last year when my mountain-bike-loving-cousin Gareth Dunn alerted me to her wunderkind status.
The 15-year-old Valleyview secondary student made a mammoth statement at the Dunbar Summer Series Canadian Downhill Mountain Bike Championships last month at Sun Peaks Resort.
She ripped down the hill in a time of 5:10.39, her time securing comfortable victory by more than 14 seconds in the Under-17 Sport/Expert Division and, more notably, making her the fastest overall female at nationals.
Nobody in the Sport/Expert Women U19 Division did better. Everyone in the Elite (Pro) Women 19-and-Over
Division fell short of the 15-year-old phenom.
“I got a hat, glasses, some dollar-store-looking-Canada Day glasses, a nice axe from Sweden or something and a big Canada flag,” Pretorius said of the swag she donned on the podium. “I got the jersey, too. I’m going to have to rock the sleeve now.”
Male and female winners in the U17, U19 and pro divisions earned the right to race with Maple Leaf sleeves on their arms until nationals next year.
Pretorius, not yet old enough to drive a car, earned the right to call herself the fastest female downhill mountain biker in Canada.
“She’s a really good kid, too,” nationals race organizer Stephen Exley said. “[At the Canada Cup in Sun Peaks], she had some bad luck with the weather and was the first one up congratulating the woman who beat her in her category. She’s a really good ambassador for the sport.”
International success seems inevitable for the repeat national champ. Pretorius is not yet old enough to compete on the World Cup circuit but is eligible to shred at the US Open of Mountain Biking in September in Utah.
“They give out a lot of prize money, so a lot of the pros go there,” Pretorius said. “I’m going to race against them in their category. It’ll be cool to see how I stack up.”
The pros down south might wonder how they measure up to 15-year-old Pretorius, the Canadian benchmark.
Photo by Gareth Dunn
Canada Pension Plan: Take It Now or Wait?
The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) provides millions of Canadians with additional retirement income. You can start collecting CPP as early as age 60, begin at the standard age of 65, or defer until age 70. For 2026, the maximum monthly CPP retirement pension at age 65 is $1,507.651. This amount is continuously adjusted to the cost of living. Most Canadians receive less than the maximum, so your own Service Canada estimate is the best number to use for planning.
As a recap, every month you take CPP before age 65 results in a 0.60% reduction in your pension entitlement. If you start at age 60, that is a permanent reduction of up to 36% compared with starting at 65.
If you elect to take CPP after age 65, the government rewards you with an additional 0.70% per month, up to a maximum increase of 42% if you wait until age 70. There is no added benefit to delaying CPP past age 70. The case for taking CPP early:
1. You are no longer working. You are no longer accruing CPP benefits. Ex: if you retire at 55, that means between
Heidi
55 and 65 you will have essentially 10 years of $0 income which could drop your overall CPP benefit.
2. You are working and in a low tax bracket. Taking CPP early may help with cash flow, paying down debt, topping up your Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA), or supporting lifestyle goals while you are still active.
3. You want extra income in early retirement. Generally, the breakeven age for drawing CPP at age 60 versus 65 is 12 years, meaning deferring CPP comes ahead at around age 77. Many retirees value extra cash flow in their early retirement years for travel, family experiences, home projects, or other goals. The trade-off is that the monthly CPP amount is permanently lower.
4. You have health issues. CPP survivorship rules may provide partial benefits to your spouse, but if they already have full CPP, then there is no survivorship benefit outside of the one-time $2,500 death benefit.
5. You have TFSA room. If you do not need CPP income for spending, one strategy is to save some or all of it to a TFSA, where future investment growth and withdrawals are tax-free.
The case for deferring:
1. You are working and in a higher tax bracket. As an example, say you earn $105,000 a year in salary. Currently your combined BC and Federal tax rate is 31%. This means taking CPP at age 60 would result in a 36% reduction of the current $1,507 amount, followed by another 31% tax hit, leaving you with $665 after-tax.
In contrast, if you retire at 65 with a $60,000 pension, income split with your spouse, and wind up in the 20% tax bracket, you’d net $1205 from the same CPP payment.
2. You have a bridge benefit on your pension that ends at age 65, it could make sense to defer and get larger CPP entitlement.
3. You are 65 or older and near Old Age Security claw back threshold which currently begins at $93,454. Deferring CPP may be worth considering if it helps manage taxable income in a future year.
4. You are receiving government assistance. If you or your partner receive government benefits such as Guarantee Income Supplement or the Allowance, drawing CPP could potentially impact your entitlement.
5. You are a risk-adverse investor. Investments would need to earn 7.2% a year to offset taking CPP earlier than 65. That can be a challenge and could result in taking on more risk than you are comfortable. Drawing down low risk RSPs and leaving CPP for a later date could make sense.
These are just some of the factors that may impact your decision of when to draw CPP. As always, please consult a professional to review your circumstances. We are happy to provide the numbers and financial reasoning behind when to draw benefits such as CPP; however, what is often more important is making sure the timing supports the retirement lifestyle you want to enjoy. Until next time... Invest Well. Live Well.
MARTY HASTINGS
The Tattle of Hastings
Young swimmer collects medals and records at swim meet
Marty Hastings: Reporter news@kamloopschronicle.com
Mia Wittal put an exclamation point on an extraordinary period of her young career at the B.C. Summer Swimming Championships last month at the Canada Games Aquatic Centre.
The 13-year-old Kamloops Classic Swimming athlete racked up five medals — two gold, one silver and two bronze — and broke four club records at the meet.
“My goals were definitely higher than what I achieved this weekend, but I’m really happy with the overall outcome of the meet,” Wittal said.
Wittal is a pool perfectionist, not content with her standout performance at provincials despite competing against older girls in the 13- and 14-year-old division.
“I definitely wanted more club records,” Wittal said.
“And I’m really close to a bunch of the [Canadian Swimming Trials] times, so I wanted more of those.”
Wittal set a provincial long course record in the 11and 12-year-old girls’ division in January in Kelowna, posting a time of 28.67 seconds in the 50-metre butterfly.
She set eight club records and won nine medals — six gold, two silver and one bronze — at the Provincial Winter Swimming Championships in March in Victoria.
After that meet, Classics’ head coach Shane Downey said Wittal is only beginning to scratch the surface of her potential.
She continued to scratch away in the spring.
Prior to jumping up an age division, Wittal on two occasions posted a time of 28.32 seconds in the long course 50m butterfly.
The time is the fastest in
OBITUARY
Joan Willo Bennewith (née Moore) April 9, 1934 - July 11, 2026
We are saddened and heartbroken to announce the passing of Joan Willo Bennewith who passed away peacefully on July 11, 2026 in Ashcroft, BC at the age of 92.
Joan was predeceased by her beloved husband, Stanley (Stan) Kenneth Bennewith on May 20, 2014.
Joan will be deeply missed and forever remembered by her children, Mark (Eileen), Alan (Janice), Diane (Tom Elliott), and Brian (Bonnie). Her grandchildren, Brian Jr., Brandalyn, Nicole, Sean, Griffin, Elizabeth, Catherine, and Willy. Her great-grandchildren, Corbin, Ayden, Troy, Lexi, Camryn, Ryder, Hayden, Avery, Zoey, and Seth. She also leaves behind her dear sister Janet Meeks and brother Bill Moore (Kathy).
Joan was born in Kamloops in 1934. She went on to graduate as a Registered Nurse in Kamloops in 1955
where she worked at the Royal Inland Hospital and in 1961 at the Lady Minto Hospital in Ashcroft. In 1972 she carried on with the new Ashcroft and District Hospital as Director of Nursing until retirement.
Mom loved to share her knowledge of cooking, baking, and canning. She also loved knitting, sewing, needlepoint, and later discovered a passion for quilting, creating beautiful handmade quilts to pass on to all the family members. She was an amazing mother, sister, grandmother and great-grandmother. Her unconditional love will be missed everyday.
Canadian history in two girls’ long course 50m fly divisions (12-year-old and 11- and 12-year-old).
Three-time Olympic champion Summer McIntosh is second-fastest in those categories (28.64 seconds).
Wittal won gold in the 100m freestyle and 50m butterfly, silver in the 100m butterfly and bronze in the 100m backstroke and 200m individual medley last month at summer provincials.
She broke her own club record and finished atop the podium in the 100m freestyle (1:00.03), but expressed a tinge of discontent while noting her goal was to post a time under one minute.
“I think this provincials was just the start and there will be more to come,” Wittal said.
OBITUARY
A Celebration of Life will be held at Kamloops Funeral Home at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to a charity of your choice. IN LOVING
Margaret “Carol” “Dolly” Petri
December 25,
1938
Margaret “Carol” “Dolly” Petri, 87, left this world peacefully on July 9, 2026.
Carol was born on December 25, 1938, in Cranbrook, BC, the daughter of Samuel and Louise Shaw. She spent her early years with her family in Cranbrook and Lethbridge, AB. It was in Lethbridge where she met and married Mario Petri. Together they raised their three sons.
Carol and Mario moved to Kamloops in 1965 with their young family. Carol worked in a variety of retail and service jobs over the years. She and Mario enjoyed camping, fishing, and
— July 9, 2026
playing cards with family and friends. Carol loved singing and performing with the Kamloops Happy Choristers. Carol also loved to socialize with her friends and was often found at the North Shore A&W having coffee with them.
Carol is survived by two sons Michael (Donna), John (Bev), her daughter-in-law Cara, 6 grandchildren (Kira [Jordan], Rochelle, Nicole, Katy, Marcus, and Cloie), 4 greatgrandchildren, her younger sister Louise (Bill) Bryne, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Carol was predeceased by her husband Mario in November 2001 and her youngest son Mark in May 2023.
A Celebration of Life was held at Kamloops Funeral Home, 285 Fortune Dr., on Saturday, August 1, at 11:00 a.m. Family and friends were warmly invited to attend.
Rest in Peace. Condolences may be sent to the family from kamloopsfuneralhome.com
Please join us to honour and remember Andrew on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, 1:30 - 3:30 pm
MEMORY OF Andrew Watson
Photo by Dani Wittal
IN LOVING MEMORY
Mary Huffman
Mary Huffman (née Scott), 82, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on June 16, 2026, in Fort St. James, BC.
Mary was born on December 6, 1943, to Joan and John Scott of Birch Island and Kamloops, BC. The eldest of 5
siblings, Mary was a leader from an early age and played a hugely influential role in the lives of her brothers and sister.She is survived by her son Joe, sister Jill (Plaizier), brothers David and John, sisters-in-law Bonnie (McIntoshP and (Laurie Bell), and numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.
Mary was a devoted educator in Fort St. James, teaching for many years at Fort St James Secondary School. Perhaps best known as the school librarian, Mary expected the best from her students and was known by staff and students alike for her kindness. She had the good fortune of watching so many of her students grow up and start families of their own and took great joy in following their successes and achievements. She was passionate about her profession and remained a steadfast advocate for public education throughout her long career and retirement.
Mary loved learning. She was the first in her family to graduate from university, earning her Bachelor of Education degree from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC and her Master of Education degree from the University of Northern BC in Prince George in 2001. She attended high school in Clearwater and graduated from Kamloops High School. A lifelong traveller, Mary greatly enjoyed experiencing other cultures. During her retirement years she volunteered with the UBC Museum of Anthropology, where she appreciated gaining a deeper knowledge and understanding of Indigenous cultures. From UBC days onward, she enjoyed many travels, visits, and life events with her life-long friend Jeannie Jensen (McLennan) and friends Patience Silbernagel, and Michelle Maule. Mary always retained an open and inquisitive mind. She loved to learn, was always up for a spirited debate, and perhaps most of all, loved her family. She has been a wonderful teacher to us all and taught us what it means to show up in support and care for one another.
Mary was preceded in death by her husband Joseph Leslie (Les) Huffman, parents, her brother Frank Scott, and her sister-in-law Joanne Philips. A memorial service and celebration of her life will be held on August 29, 2026 in Fort St. James, BC. She will be laid to rest privately per her final wishes [in the municipal cemetery at Fort St. James]. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Canadian Cancer Society.
The family would like to thank Dr. Ohuoba and the entire staff of Nats’oojeh Hospital and Health Centre of Fort St. James, BC for their care of our mom, sister, aunt and friend. And a special thank you to all of Mary’s friends at the Neghuni Ghunli-un Seniors building, she will always enjoy her visits with you all!
OBITUARY
Rodney Warren Hobbs May 22, 1952 - February 20, 2026
Rod Hobbs died peacefully Feb. 20, 2026 at Gemstone Care Centre, his wife, Jan by his side. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2011. Rod lived his life to the fullest, with humour, courage and dignity.
Born in Watson, SK on May 22, 1952 and grew up in Emerson, MB, Rod was active in hockey, curling and Army cadets. In about 1967, he was lead for winning team of the 91st Annual Emerson Bonspiel. Rod, his uncle, Mark Anthony, Second, Arnold Richardson, Third and Ernie Richardson, Skip. Arnold and Ernie were part of the 4-time world champion Richardson team from Regina.
Rod started at CN Rail as a clerk in Emerson in 1969, working with his Dad, John Goldwin Hobbs. He later worked on the running trades, becoming Certified Locomotive Engineer in 1980 in Gimli, MB. His family travelled to Campbell
River, BC for vacation and Rod fell in love with the mountains and the ocean, leading him to relocate to Jasper, then Vancouver. Rod transferred to Kamloops in 1987 where he met his future wife. He and Jan married in 1989, taking advantage of the outdoor life and camping that they both enjoyed.
Holidays were spent camping across Canada and the US, including Alaska. In 2007, after 36 years of service with CN Rail, Rod retired. He and Jan took longer trips in North America, Europe and New Zealand.
Rod is survived by his wife, Jan and his siblings, David (Margaret) Hobbs, Deb Hobbs and Randy Hobbs. Predeceased by his parents, John Goldwin Hobbs and Lois Hobbs, survived by numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews. Jan would like to thank all who visited Rod while he was in Gemstone with special thanks to Martina and David Flannigan, nephew Tyler Hobbs and niece, Tasha Hobbs for their unwavering love and support of Rod.
Thanks to Dr. Jennifer Takahashi and her MOA, Theresa, Dr. Franky Mah and all who gave him care at Gemstone. Rod requested no service to be held.
Donations appreciated in memory of Rod to Parkinson Society British Columbia at www. parkinson.bc.ca
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