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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2022 | Volume 35 No. 2
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A non-record year for first time since 2016 JESSICA WALLACE
STAFF REPORTER
jessica@kamloopsthisweek.com
For the first time in five years, the City of Kamloops did not break a record for building permit values in 2021. Last year, the city issued 1,565 permits worth $200.3 million. The city broke its record permit values for a fourth straight year in 2020, with $416.2 million worth of permits issued. Norman Kopec, seen here at age 82 in November 2018, watched McArthur Island undergo massive transformation over the decades. As a kid in the 1940s, he swam in the slough and rafted over to the island from his home in North Kamloops. City building and engineerDAVE EAGLES/KTW FILE ing development manager Jason Dixon said 2021 was a typical year, noting 2020 was bolstered by a $94.5-million permit for the final leg of the Royal Inland Hospital’s $417-million patient-care the Thompson River — died in the McArthur Island slough, which tower project, the single-largJESSICA WALLACE Vancouver General Hospital on used to be flooded by the fire est building permit ever issued STAFF REPORTER jessica@kamloopsthisweek.com Jan. 5. department. in Kamloops. His death reminds us of the stoAt Kam High, he met his future Dixon said residential ighty-five-year-old ries and history that precede us. wife, Diana, daughter of former development was strong in Norman Kopec died “The legends, the historians, alderman Tony Andrew and two 2021, specifically the tradilast week and took with the people that built this province, years his junior. tional residential sector. him a lifetime of stories really,” daughter Karen KopecDiana said boys from the south The city issued 510 resiabout Kamloops. Repka said. side of the Thompson River told dential permits worth $113.3 Norman — a communityThe son of Polish immigrants, boys from north that they couldn’t million. That compares to minded-senior who grew up in Norman was raised on a family date girls from their side. 501 residential permits worth Brocklehurst orchards, involved farm in Brocklehurst. The 11-acre They got married anyway — $173.7 million issued in 2020. himself in the hockey community farm has since been cut up into twice. There were 104 permits and had the gumption needed to smaller lots split by Ollek Street. issued for single-family units, date a gal on the opposite side of Norman grew up skating on See REMEMBERING, A10 compared to 90 in 2020.
A LIFETIME IN KAMLOOPS
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Permits for secondary suites also increased, with 54, compared to 42 in 2020. Dixon said changes to city policy that allowed secondary suites in more areas of the city likely prompted more people to go through the proper process. Kamloops has been traditionally known for having illegal suites. The overall number of residential units, however, was down in 2021 compared to 2020, with multi-family units not as prevalent. In 2021, permits were issued for 234 multifamily units, compared to 769 in 2020. Dixon said apartment stats were down last year simply because of timing. Last year saw industry challenges. The price of lumber skyrocketed, resulting in some permits delayed, and the pandemic led to supply chain issues that continue to persist. The year did, however end strong. Dixon said applicants rushed in projects before implementation of the BC Energy Step Code, which requires, through B.C’s building code, construction to be done to certain energy efficiency ratings.
See PERMIT, A5
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