Delegations
Member of Parliament Frank Caputo
Member of Parliament (MP) Frank Caputo attended Council to solicit feedback ahead of the development of the federal budget. MP Caputo noted that his name was pulled first in the lottery for private members' bills this session, providing an opportunity to get political attention on an issue of his choosing. After recently being named Shadow Minister for Public Safety, MP Caputo is leaning towards presenting a bill related to intimate partner violence, which he sees as a key issue for our region and the entire country, but he also spoke about concerns around housing and expressed interest in establishing an advisory board to boost local industrial expansion. MP Mel Arnold was also in attendance and answered questions from Council members.
Listen to the full presentation on the City's Council Meeting YouTube feed.
KXA Provincial Winter Fair
Provincial Winter Fair Committee Member Carole Gillis and 4-H Club members Chloe Braslins, Edyn Andrew, Hunter Moore, and Grayson Moore invited Council to attend the 87th annual Provincial Winter Fair at the Circle Creek Ranch and Equestrian Centre on September 19–22, 2025. The delegation also highlighted municipalities with agri-sport, youth, and equestrian event centres and suggested that residents would benefit from a similar event space in Kamloops.
- View the presentation within the Council meeting slide deck.
Public Submissions
Entertainment at the Yew Street Food Hall
Council authorized a resolution of support for the Smashville Burger Bar at the Yew Street Food Hall to amend their food and primary liquor licence. The amendment would permit activities such as dancing, karaoke, small music events, artistic performances, and trivia. Provincial liquor licensing regulations require local governments to comment on entertainment endorsement applications and address the potential for noise or other impacts on the community. In its resolution, Council stipulated that activities located on the outdoor patio terminate at 10:00 pm and that the applicant sign a good neighbour agreement.
View the full report from the July 29, 2025, regular Council meeting.
Unfinished Business
- Council approved adding a new Committee of the Whole Meeting to the 2025 Council Calendar on September 16, 2025, at 10:00 am.
- Council authorized Councillor Bepple to serve on the Federation of Canadian Municipalities standing committees and forums for a term commencing September 8, 2025, and ending October 31, 2026. Council will incur the costs of Councillor Bepple attending Federation of Canadian Municipalities board meetings.
Reports to Council
Alternative Approval Processes for Loan Authorization Bylaws
Denise Anderson, the City's Deputy Corporate Officer, provided Council with a report seeking authorization to initiate alternative approval processes to seek elector approval to borrow funds for four Council-approved initiatives.
- Kamloops Police Services Building Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 57-3, 2025, to provide funding to design, construct, and commission a new police services building (up to $150,650,000)
- 965 McMaster Way Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 57-4, 2025, to provide funding to purchase and improve the property located at 965 McMaster Way (up to $16,750,000)
- Tranquille Phase III Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 57-5, 2025, to provide funding to design, construct, and commission Phase III of the Tranquille Road Sanitary Main and Road Enhancement Project (up to $9,000,000)
- Kamloops Centre for Water Quality Intake Upgrade Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 57-6, 2025, to provide funding to design, construct, and commission the Kamloops Centre for Water Quality intake upgrade (up to $11,750,000)
Council gave three readings to each bylaw, which must now be sent to the Inspector of Municipalities for consideration and issuance of the required statutory approval certificates. This process can take up to eight weeks.
After staff receive the required statutory approval certificates from the Inspector of Municipalities for each bylaw, and in accordance with Council Policy No. GGA-33, Alternative Approval Process, staff will prepare the following for Council’s consideration for each alternative approval process:
- estimated number of eligible electors
- elector response forms for each bylaw
- final submission date for elector response forms
View the full report.
View the presentation within the Council meeting slide deck.
Contact for further information:
Denise Anderson | danderson@kamloops.ca
Strategic Priorities Fund Grant Application
Glen Farrow, the City's Civic Operations Business Manager, provided Council with a report seeking authorization to apply to the Strategic Priorities Fund grant program administered by the Union of British Columbia Municipalities to pursue funding through both the Capital Infrastructure Stream and the Capacity Building Stream. Proponents may submit one application for each funding stream, up to a combined maximum amount of $7 million.
The report recommended requesting $6 million for the Kamloops Centre for the Arts under the Capital Infrastructure Stream and $1 million for capacity building to enhance our civic facility asset management initiatives under the Capacity Building Stream. To align with the funder’s recommendations, the proposed grant application for the Kamloops Centre for the Arts will focus on funding to support the construction of the feature lobby, café, and gallery.
Council authorized applications to both Strategic Priorities Fund streams.
View the full report.
View the presentation within the Council meeting slide deck.
Contact for further information:
Glen Farrow | gfarrow@kamloops.ca
Designation of Fire Inspectors and Fire Investigators
Ken Uzeloc, the City's Protective Services Director/Fire Chief, provided Council with a report seeking a resolution designating members of Kamloops Fire Rescue as Fire Inspectors and Fire Investigators in accordance with new requirements under the Fire Safety Act, S.B.C. 2016. Under the new Fire Safety Act, the authority to designate a person or class of persons as a fire inspector or fire investigator has shifted from the Office of the Fire Commissioner to a local authority. The Local Assistant to the Fire Commissioner designation no longer exists.
Under its new authority, Council designated all current and future Kamloops Fire Rescue members as fire inspectors and fire investigators, as defined within the Fire Safety Act, and accorded them the powers and responsibilities attributed to such positions, subject to completion of the requisite training and written approval by the Fire Chief. These designations were made retroactive to August 1, 2024.
View the full report.
View the presentation within the Council meeting slide deck.
Contact for further information:
Ken Uzeloc | 250-828-3793
Public Engagement Opportunities
Council received an update on upcoming community engagement opportunities, as listed below.
Featured Engagement Opportunities
- Hot Topic: A Cultural Mapping of the FireSmart Program: As part of an exhibition at the Kamloops Museum and Archives, residents are invited to participate in cultural mapping of the FireSmart program. The maps collected will help create a collective picture of what the community knows and needs to know to improve fire mitigation programs like FireSmart. The exercise is open until August 30, 2025, during the Kamloops Museum and Archive’s operating hours.
- Responsible Liquor Consumption Pilot Project: The City of Kamloops has launched a pilot program to allow responsible liquor consumption in a designated area of Riverside Park. Residents are invited to provide feedback throughout the pilot program, which will be accepted online until October 1, 2025.
- Provide feedback at LetsTalk.Kamloops.ca/ResponsibleLiquorConsumption.
- Full details on the bylaw are available at Kamloops.ca/ResponsibleLiquor.
- EPermit Project: Residents and builders are invited to sign up to be beta testers for a new digital permitting process. More information is available at LetsTalk.Kamloops.ca/EPermit.
Follow On Let's Talk Website
Subscribe to ongoing projects to be notified when engagement opportunities arise:
Community Collaboration Activities
- Call for photos! Residents of all skill levels and ages are invited to submit their digital photos for a chance to be featured in the 2026 City Calendar. We encourage submissions that highlight our City's diverse population, urban landmarks, breathtaking environment, and variety of leisure activities. The deadline to submit your photos is September 29, 2025. Visit Kamloops.ca/Calendar for details.
Committee Reports
In response to recommendations from the July 24, 2025, Safety and Security Select Committee meeting, Council:
- authorized a formal municipal response to the Liquor to Go Policy feedback request to Janet Donald, Executive Director, Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch, summarizing local impacts [note: the formal response deadline was updated from August 7, 2025, to August 18, 2025].
- authorized representatives from the Safety and Security Select Committee and the Council-appointed North Shore Business Improvement Area Liaison to create an opportunity for engagement with representatives of the Leigh Road to MacKenzie Avenue business community to discuss concerns related to social disorder and community vibrancy
- adopted new Community Services service levels and authorized staff to amend the Community Services Division Standard Operating Guidelines to reflect the updated Community Services service levels
- directed staff to bring a report to an open meeting of either Council or Committee of the Whole outlining the status of discussions on the Red Bridge
- directed staff to engage in further conversations about the viability and community support for a veterans-marked crosswalk
