While the chaos at city hall has dominated the headlines over the past year, council has continued to advance an agenda focusing on issues like transit, housing, the drug crisis and large projects like the performing arts centre.
The following is based on noteworthy events over the past year, as reported in media and discussed during council meetings.
2023
November
MAYOR After the mayor reveals his wife recorded a phone conversation between himself and chief administrative officer (CAO) David Trawin, council passes a motion to prohibit secret recordings. Hamer-Jackson is the sole dissenting vote.
December
TRANSPORTATION Council rejects a plan by city staff to build a multi-use pathway along Lansdowne Street, citing concerns over traffic congestion. The pathway would have connected to the recently completed Sixth Avenue bike lane.
MAYOR Following a request by council in September, Peter Fassbender, former Langley mayor and provincial cabinet minister, is appointed as municipal advisor to look into conflicts between council and mayor. Two weeks later, Fassbender is moved out of the role and the province begins looking for a new advisor.
MAYOR Hamer-Jackson defies an order from Kamloops Fire Rescue Chief Ken Uzeloc to remove a burned-out SUV on his business property. The SUV is towed from the mayor’s property days later, while Hamer-Jackson is on vacation in Mexico.
DRUG CRISIS Council votes to send an updated business case for a sobering centre to the provincial government. The centre would ease pressure on jail cells, hospitals and shelters.
2024
January
PAC Council begins the new year with its cultural strategic plan, seeing a need for more arts and culture spaces. Later in January, council mulls spending on plans for a performing arts centre (PAC).
February
PAC In early February, council approves $7 million in spending for detailed PAC plans. City staff say the plans will allow for a more accurate cost estimate of the centre.
HOUSING A council motion passes to petition the province to open cold weather shelters at 0 C, rather than -10 C.
MAYOR Meanwhile, former Abbotsford mayor Henry Braun is announced as the new municipal advisor for Kamloops.
TRANSPORTATION Council and Thompson Rivers University continue to discuss the location of a proposed $10-million Summit Drive overpass, as council reaffirms its stance on its location.
March
TRANSPORTATION Council unanimously approves a downtown bike valet pilot program, running from May to September.
CITY The City of Kamloops announces that CAO David Trawin will go on personal leave for an indeterminate period.
MAYOR Later in March, media reports say deputy CAO Byron McCorkell has been suspended by Hamer-Jackson. But days later council unanimously reverses the decision in a special closed meeting.
April
MAYOR Hamer-Jackson reveals a confidential report that shows council has placed restrictions on his ability to suspend employees, with deputy mayors now holding that power. Coun. Mike O’Reilly says the decision was supposed to be kept confidential.
MAYOR After a third-party investigation indicates Hamer-Jackson has breached council’s code of conduct multiple times, a restriction on the mayor’s communication with various city staff members is extended, at least until August.
PAC Council unanimously adopts its 10-year cultural strategic plan, hoping to bolster tourism and arts infrastructure.
DRUG CRISIS At the Southern Interior Local Government Association (SILGA) conference, council’s call for a “balanced approach” to the drug crisis earns support and will be considered for the Union of B.C. Municipalities conference in the fall.
May
TRANSPORTATION The downtown Kamloops’ bike valet begins operating.
HOUSING Support grows as SILGA delegates endorse petitioning the province to raise the cold weather shelter temperature threshold to 0 C from -10 C.
MAYOR Henry Braun completes his work as municipal advisor and makes his report public. It places blame on Hamer-Jackson for dysfunction at city hall. Braun makes 13 recommendations to council and 10 to Hamer-Jackson himself. Coun. Margot Middleton calls on the mayor to resign. He refuses.
BUSINESS Council asks city staff to start working with a proposed East Kamloops Business Improvement Area Association.
BYLAWS Council’s work to gain peace officer status for its Community Safety Officers continues with meetings with ministers.
MAYOR Citing Braun’s report, council will deliver hundreds of letters to B.C. MLAs and municipalities saying the mayor “does not speak on behalf of council or the City of Kamloops,” and that official communication should be through the deputy mayor.
June
PAC The City of Kamloops publishes advance notice that it intends to select a contractor for the PAC, hoping to award a contract in August.
MAYOR Coun. Katie Neustaeter announces she is proceeding with a court filing seeking the dismissal of a defamation lawsuit filed against her by Hamer-Jackson in June 2023, related to statements she made as part of a joint statement on behalf of council in March 2023. The statement claimed Hamer-Jackson has shown “chaotic and unpredictable behavior” at city hall. The matter is set to go before a judge in November.
MAYOR During the June 11 council meeting, Hamer-Jackson begins to read a speech directed at Braun, referring to grievances he has with council and staff that were laid out in a leaked confidential report. In response, city staff interrupt the mayor. Councillors call for a recess and walk out of the meeting and Hamer-Jackson’s microphone is cut.
MAYOR Hamer-Jackson’s pay is cut by 10 per cent for a period of six months following a council resolution during a closed meeting in mid-June. Code of conduct investigations revealed the mayor had breached the code a number of times. Earlier, council had directed the mayor to issue a letter of apology and complete mandatory training related to the code of conduct. Refusing to sign, the mayor is also barred from council’s select committee meetings.
MAYOR Meanwhile, Hamer-Jackson tells media he plans to sell his West Victoria Street property to pay his legal bills and avoid conflicts of interest during council meetings.
MAYOR Hamer-Jackson files a second defamation lawsuit, this time against local developer Joshua Knaak, alleging Knaak made defamatory statements about inappropriate touching, including with Knaak’s wife. Knaak later denied making any defamatory comments about the mayor.
PAC Council announces its plan for the city to borrow $275 million to build the PAC and an arena multiplex.
COUNCIL Coun. Bill Sarai announces he is no longer seeking the NDP nomination for the Kamloops-Centre riding, pledging to focus on local issues, instead.
July
MAYOR Hamer-Jackson invites select media to a political rally on July 15 to announce that he would not be resigning as mayor. The event later drew criticism from Castanet’s Tim Petruk, who called the mayor’s actions “blatant bullying.”
HOUSING Council approves a 12-storey Columbia Street building that is planned to provide 147 housing units and a daycare, replacing the Travelodge and parking lot at 360 Columbia St.
MAYOR Hamer-Jackson is removed from the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board and the Airport Society as further censure following Braun’s report.
BYLAWS Community Safety Officers begin providing 24-hour service in the city, based on a model approved by council in 2021.
PAC Council resolves to approve the timeline for the alternative approval process to borrow up to $275 million to build a PAC and arena complex, setting a mid-September deadline for those opposed to voice their concerns.
August
BYLAWS Council approves a bylaw which lays the groundwork for community safety officers to gain peace officer status in conjunction with provincial amendments to the Police Act.
TRANSPORTATION With growing demand for transit, council approves $1.14 million in spending to expand bus routes. There are also plans for future expansions in 2025 and 2026.
PAC At the Aug. 28 council meeting, Hamer-Jackson attempts to halt the alternative approval process but there was no second to his motion. The mayor had previously voted to support the process.
September
MAYOR The mayor’s former lawyer, David McMillan, claims he is owed $35,312 in legal bills in a court filing entered on Sept. 3. In response, Hamer-Jackson said he thought the work was being done pro bono. A court date is expected to be set sometime after Jan. 17.
TRANSPORTATION Thompson Rivers University announces its support of the city’s chosen location for the Summit Drive overpass. The city and the university will each contribute $5 million to the project.
PAC Hamer-Jackson again tries to stop the alternative approval process, this time days before the deadline for voters to voice their opposition.
HOUSING Council votes 6-3 to approve a 180-unit three-building housing development on Ord Road. Environmental concerns were raised by some opposing members of council.
COUNCIL At the Union of B.C. Municipalities conference, councillors meet with several ministers, discussing topics such as a new school for Aberdeen, orphan dams and dikes, a sobering centre, wildfire concerns and transportation. Coun. Bass’ push to open cold weather shelters at 0 C also gained support at UBCM, as did council’s push for the province to take a “balanced approach” to the toxic drug crisis.
PAC Alternative approval process results show 5,802 submissions opposed to the PAC and 4,025 opposed to the arena complex. Ten per cent of the city’s electorate, or 8,713 submissions, would have been required to force a referendum to decide if the city should borrow the $275 million required to build the PAC and arena complex.
PAC Council officially adopts two loan authorization bylaws to borrow funds to build the PAC.
October
MAYOR Council issues a directive that the mayor’s office must be moved to the basement of city hall, into a board room beneath council chambers. Coun. O’Reilly tells media the move is to protect city staff from bullying and harassment by the mayor.
CITY The City of Kamloops names Byron McCorkell as its new CAO. McCorkell had been serving as acting CAO following Trawin’s departure to go on personal leave in March.
MAYOR At the next council meeting, Hamer-Jackson says he will defy the order, asking council if they plan to get a court order to force him to move.