Author: Sean Brady
-
Kamloops gas prices to be investigated
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…
-
Mike Bernier to lead new BC political party, CentreBC
There’s a lot of work ahead for Mike Bernier, who has just taken the reins of B.C.’s newest political party, CentreBC. The party’s emergence comes after nearly 10 years of the NDP in power, the collapse of the B.C. Liberals, and the election of a new leader for the B.C. Conservatives, who according to Bernier,…
-
Council approves housing; struggles with water
Kamloops city council met at two regular meetings in June, discussing a major housing development, the results of two alternative approval process counter-petitions, new restrictions for overnight shelters, and a retrospective on the major water main break in May, including lessons learned. Agreement on major housing development Council gave its stamp of approval to a…
-
Pathways shelter extension approved
Kamloops city council has approved a 20-month extension for the 44-bed Pathways shelter on Tranquille Road, following a six-hour meeting focused on the matter, with hundreds in attendance on April 21. Feedback from those attending was divided, with about half speaking in favour of keeping the shelter open and half hoping council would not renew…
-
Petition says property taxes unpaid
Credit union seeking foreclosure or sale of mayor’s commercial property Beem Credit Union has filed a petition in B.C. Supreme Court seeking foreclosure on, or sale of, the mayor’s West Victoria Street car lot, claiming Reid Hamer-Jackson’s Tru Market Truck and Auto Sales has defaulted on its loan agreement. According to the petition, Beem is…
-
Mayor fails in bid to halt major capital projects
Hamer-Jackson sought to pause arts centre and arena multiplex development for a year, or until a new council could provide direction A motion from Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson to immediately halt the development of the Dufferin arena multiplex and Kamloops Centre for the Arts has failed. The mayor’s motion called for a pause on development for…
-
Tranquille shelter subject of upcoming public meeting
Council will be accepting public submissions on extending the temporary use permit (TUP) for the Pathways Shelter at 142 Tranquille Rd. at its April 21 meeting, following council’s approval to host the meeting in a larger space as it anticipates plenty of feedback. The 44-bed shelter, which has been open since January 2025, has garnered…
-
A rally for transgender rights drew about 60 people outside the Kamloops Law Courts on March 25. Photo by Sean BradyRallying for trans rights
A rally in support of transgender rights was held in front of the Kamloops Law Courts in late March, following the attempted introduction of a number of bills in the B.C. legislature that could have reverted progress made on trans rights in the province. Three controversial bills by independent Kelowna MLA Tara Armstrong, including two…
-
Fundraiser sounds ‘red alert’ over cardiac care
The upcoming ICCHA-Wish red carpet fundraising gala will be held in protest of the closure of the eponymous cardiac care unit at Royal Inland Hospital. ICCHA-Wish co-founder Al Patel said he’s sounding the alarm over cardiac care at the Kamloops hospital due to the prolonged closure of the ward. “Despite years of community fundraising, donations…
-
Concern over autism funding
Parents and service providers alike are sounding the alarm over changes to autism funding in B.C., which could mean some children will lose their existing funding by 2027. The new funding model, first announced by the province in February, delivers payments directly to families for a wider range of disabilities, meaning thousands of more families…