KAMLOOPS THIS WEEK WEDNESDAY
LOCAL NEWS
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JANUARY 3, 2017 | Volume 31 No. 1
WEATHER Mainly cloudy High -4 C Low -8 C SUN PEAKS SNOW REPORT Mid-mountain: 91 cm Alpine: 121 cm Snow phone: 250-578-7232
GOT THE SHOT?
KIBIHT IS BACK
The flu has arrived and it is spreading
Venerable bantam hockey tournament now underway
NEWS/A6
SPORTS/A15
Expect 5-15% hike in home values SUN PEAKS CONDO OWNERS WILL SEE LARGER INCREASES ON THEIR NOTICES
ANDREA KLASSEN
STAFF REPORTER
andrea@kamloopsthisweek.com
CELEBRATION ON ICE
ALLEN DOUGLAS/KTW
Peter Capshaw welcomed the new year by joining dozens of others in wading in the ice at Pioneer Park. The annual Polar Bear Swim was to take place at the beach in Riverside Park, but ice conditions forced organizers to move east to Pioneer Park. There, a few brave souls broke some holes in the ice, which allowed participants to enjoy a dip in a half-foot of the frigid South Thompson River. Go online to kamloopsthisweek.com to see more photos from the Polar Bear Swim.
Most homeowners in Kamloops have seen a five to 15 per cent increase in the value of their properties, according to new assessments sent out by B.C. Assessment this week. But with most residential properties showing similar increases, deputy assessor Graham Held said Kamloops residents shouldn’t expect to see major shifts in their property taxes for 2018, beyond a 1.8 per cent increase being considered at city hall. “If everyone’s going up the same percentage, the only thing that will determine a tax increase is an increase in the city’s budget,” Held said. “If there are properties that are moving significantly more or less . . . you can see a shifting of the tax burden. You see that in some of the Lower Mainland communities, where you’ve got stratas moving up significantly more than single-family homes.” In Kamloops, Held said strata values have increased slightly less than single-family homes, but with many properties still in the five to 10 per cent range. “We’re not seeing a dramatic dif-
PRICEY PROPERTIES Kamloops’ Top 10 valued properties 1. 1490 Westerdale Dr., $1,857,000, Aberdeen/ Dufferin/Versatile, acreage; 2. 2355 Campbell Creek Rd., $1,811,000, Barnhartvale, acreage; 3. 850 Lorne St., $1.73 million, Downtown, singlefamily residence; 4. 1300 Finlay Ave., $1.7 million, Juniper Heights, acreage; 5. 3080 Kicking Horse Dr., $1.69 million, Juniper Heights, single-family residence; 6. 2622 Thompson Dr., $1.6 million, Valleyview, single-family residence; 7. 6251 Meadowland Cres. N, $1.6 million, Barnhartvale, acreage; 8. 132 Fernie Pl., $1.55 million, West End, singlefamily residence; 9. 2070 High Forest Pl., $1 million, Rose Hill/ Knutsford/Ironmask, acreage; 10. 2645 Knutsford Hills Dr. $1.49 million, Rose Hill/Knutsford/Ironmask, acreage
ference in the increase,” he said. “They’re both moving up.” The average home price within city limits increased by nine per cent, from $405,000 as of July 1, 2016, to $441,000 as of July 1, 2017. Barnhartvale saw the largest increase in property values of any neighbourhood, at 13 per cent. See JAN. 31, A4
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VALID JANUARY 1 - JANUARY 31 2018
KAMLOOPS LOCATIONS! Downtown - 811 Victoria Street | 250.372.3744 Aberdeen - 1517 Hugh Allan Drive | 250.372.3705 North Shore Grill & Chill - 1075 8th Street | 250.554.4390