Author: Jason Hewlett

Although operating with a budget surplus at the moment, declining enrollment and rising inflation means the Kamloops-Thompson School District’s financial woes are far from over. The district started the 2025-2026 school year with a $5.1 million operating surplus; which interim secretary treasurer Harold Cull and administrators scrounged together after the previous secretary treasurer was fired…

Strong leadership skills, a future focused mindset and the ability to work well in a team environment are among the qualities school-board trustees are looking for in their next superintendent. An official posting for the Kamloops-Thompson School District leader — as well as a new secretary treasure — was distributed across the province and nationwide…

A North Kamloops-based initiative to clean up city streets successfully moved into the downtown core is now putting the shine on East Kamloops neighbourhoods. The Clean Team has been picking up needles, wiping clean graffiti, and removing human waste and other garbage from Valleyview to Campbell Creek since July. The team, an initiative of the…

As British Columbia recovers from another season of destructive wildfires, a new partnership is offering landowners and First Nations communities a path toward renewal. Forests Canada, a national non-profit charity, has teamed up with forestry consulting firm Cariboo Carbon Solutions to restore burned landscapes across the province. Together, they are helping private landowners and First…

Amidst the buzz of excitement as students return to classes this week there is a ripple of concern over classroom space amongst the district’s top brass. To ease that pressure, SD73 would appreciate some prompt capital announcement’s from the province for the construction of new schools, or for the expansion of existing institutions, especially in…

Tiny embers falling to cedar hedges and clogged eves pose a bigger risk to communities like Kamloops than a wall of flames from a wildfire. “Embers can typically cast two to three kilometres ahead of the fire,” said Kathleen Cahoon, the City’s FireSmart liaison. “Even if you’re not on the edge of urban/wildland interface, you…

Juniper Ridge residents will one day have to flee their homes again because of a forest fire, a resident told the Chronicle, making the City’s emergency evacuation routes crucial for families who live there. “It’s not even a question of if it happened again. It’s more just a matter of when,” said Romina Wachholz. Wachholz,…