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.
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.