THE MAN BEHIND THE THEATRE
WILL MINE BE ANNEXED?
TODAY’S WEATHER
The latest in the city’s bid
Showers, cool High 6 C Low 3 C
Tom Kerr reflects on creation of WTC
A5
B1
KAMLOOPS THIS WEEK THURSDAY
kamloopsthisweek.com kamloopsthisweek kamthisweek
30 CENTS AT NEWSSTANDS
|
NOVEMBER 12, 2015 | Volume 28 No. 136
A mission to feed the masses P
Hotel 540 moving on from proposed PAC ANDREA KLASSEN
STAFF REPORTER
andrea@kamloopsthisweek.com
With a proposal to build a performingarts centre on Seymour Street shot down by voters on the weekend, the owners of the other site considered for the centre won’t be leading a charge to bring the project to Victoria Street. Hotel 540 put its Victoria Street property forward as a potential arts-centre home last year, but a consultant’s report deemed it a more expensive choice than the former home of the Kamloops Daily News at Seymour Street and Fourth Avenue, which is owned by the city. Early estimates put the cost of an arts centre on the Daily News site at $90 million, compared to $102 million for Hotel 540. On Saturday, Kamloopsians voted down a plan to borrow up to $49 million to build the centre on Seymour Street. Bryan Pilbeam, Hotel 540 general manager and
JESSICA WALLACE
STAFF REPORTER
jessica@kamloopsthisweek.com
av Gill is taking tradition out of the temple. He and his family and friends have been volunteering at the New Life Mission since July, buying groceries, cooking vegetarian Indian cuisine and serving food to the hungry. They call their monthly contribution Guru Nanak Meals, named for the Sikh guru who started langar — free community meals traditionally served at Sikh places of worship. “Everybody, no matter who they are, no matter what background they come from, what gender they are, they are all welcome to sit down together and have a meal,” Gill said.
Pav Gill (left), wife Nisha and mother Kumlinder prepare an Indian meal for New Life Mission patrons. DAVE EAGLES/KTW
See LANGAR, A21
OF OUR BEST OFFER THE YEAR R
1 3 FOR
VISION
What used to be home to Lake City Casino is now a renovation project in Hotel 540. DAVE EAGLES/KTW
vice-president with National Hospitality Group, said the hotel group still supports a downtown arts centre, but isn’t looking to get involved in making the project a reality at this time. “It’s not something we’re talking about or considering right now,” he said. “If there was an opportunity for us down the road that made sense and that space wasn’t committed, we would entertain the discussion I suppose, but it’s not something we’re waiting on or leading the charge on.” Instead, Pilbeam
See HOTEL 540, A6
Buy 1 complete pair of RX glasses at regular price & get a *FREE 2nd pair of Prescription Glasses and *FREE Disposable Contacts! RX Glasses
+
2nd Pair
+
Contacts
Your CHOICE: FREE Disposable Contacts OR Promotional Gift Card
E X A M I N AT I O N S
Free with Minimum Purchase. * Call for Details * (not an eye health exam)
said his focus is on redeveloping the portion of its property that used to hold Lake City Casino. Lake City moved out of Hotel 540 this past summer when the new Cascades Casino opened in Aberdeen. Pilbeam said demolition of the 14,000-square-foot former Lake City setup is underway. “It’s taking longer than we first thought,” he said. “ There was layers of history, I guess, that’s in that space that’s all being demolished and removed,” he said.
I N T E R N AT I O N A L
331 Victoria St. eyesinternationalkamloops.ca 250-851-8992
SHARE THE SPARE PAIR! Licensed Optician
Bring a friend...can be 2 different prescriptions!