Category: News
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Property tax increases not abnormal
As work continues on the city’s annual budget, council will soon decide which supplemental budget items to include, determining a finalized property tax rate increase for this year. City staff spent much of February gathering feedback from residents, at two in-person events and through its Let’s Talk Kamloops portal, where feedback was invited. Property taxes…
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Kamloops’ Nyamal Lol shines in Miss Canada Pageant journey, advocates for immigrant communities and mental health
Not every day does one get a chance to sit down in a conversation with a Miss Canada finalist. So, when such an opportunity presented itself, I knew I had to make the most of it. What ensued was a refreshing and inspiring conversation with Nyamal Lol, Miss Canada Finalist from our very own city.…
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BC Parks fundraising to protect parkland
An ecologically important area south of Juniper Ridge may soon be protected parkland, if a crowdfunding bid by the BC Parks Foundation is successful. The five parcels of land, a combined 517 acres (209 hectares), were listed for sale about one year ago, and aside from the northernmost portion of Scott Road, there is little…
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Local co-authors celebrate book launch in Times Square
There are before and after moments in life. Becoming a parent, the death of a loved one, and that time I was on a billboard in Times Square. Yes, you read that right, Lou Bowers, a born and raised fifth generation Kamloopsian had her face on a billboard for thousands of people to see lighting…
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The Days for Girls group in Kamloops working at packing 300 kits for Costa Rica.International Women’s Day events coming in March
International Women’s Day (IWD) stands as a global testament to the enduring struggle for women’s rights and gender equality. Its origins trace back to February 28, 1909, when the Socialist Party of America organized a Women’s Day in New York City to honor the 1908 garment workers’ strike, where women protested working conditions. This event…
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City hall business playing out in courthouse
MAYOR AND COUNCIL Much of the news around mayor and council in the past month has taken place at the courthouse, rather than city hall. O’REILLY RESPONDS A B.C. Supreme Court petition to disqualify Coun. Mike O’Reilly from his office will be heard in March. A group of 10 petitioners is alleging that O’Reilly is…
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Western Canada Theatre parts ways with artistic director
James MacDonald is no longer the creative head of Western Canada Theatre, following his departure from the local theatre company in late January. MacDonald’s absence comes in the midst of Western Canada Theatre’s 2024–2025 season, just days before the debut of its latest production, Liars at a Funeral. Four more productions are scheduled before May,…
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Leaked report causing further trouble for mayor
Sean Brady Further legal trouble has emerged for Kamloops Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson, with the province filing suit at the end of January to force him to destroy or return all copies of a report concerning his behavior. B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma filed a petition in B.C. Supreme Court on Jan. 30, seeking a court…
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Council of the Blind milestone
Still more to celebrate in Kamloops this month!! Vern Short was in touch to let us know about a huge milestone for the Canadian Council of the Blind BC-Yukon Division — 80 years of continuous operation. Vern additionally wanted to note an even “huger” milestone for the blind community — the 100th Anniversary of Helen Keller’s…
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Crime, housing among council conversation
MAYOR AND COUNCIL Coun. Bill Sarai issued a public apology in early December for secretly recording a conversation between himself and Kamloops Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson, who had earlier received the recording with no indication it was Sarai who had created it. Sarai said his actions were “unprofessional and unacceptable” but not illegal in the apology.…