Delegations
United Way BC
Jenn Johnson, Regional Coordinator, and Sam Bregoliss, Community Engagement Coordinator, Community Impact and Investment, United Way BC, provided Council with information on the Emergency Transportation Assistance Program partnership between United Way BC and the City of Kamloops, which provides single-use bus tickets to agencies that support community members with emergency transportation needs.
Consideration of Bylaws
Housing Agreement for Social Housing Development
Council adopted Housing Agreement Bylaw No. 64-9, 2026, for the issuance of a housing agreement for a 30-unit social housing residential development for women and children with low and moderate incomes. View the full May 5, 2026, report here.
City Parking Rates
Council adopted Traffic Amendment Bylaw No. 23-81, 2026, Fees and Charges Amendment Bylaw No. 44-22, 2026, and Municipal Ticket Information Amendment Bylaw No. 43-27, 2026, to update City parking rates and fines effective as early as June 1 as follows:
| Current Rates | New Rates (beginning at 8:00 am) | |
|---|---|---|
| On-Street Parking (three-hour max) | First two hours - $1.25/hr Last hour - $2.50 | First two hours - $1.50/hr Last hour - $3.00 |
| Reserving On-Street Parking | $15 | $20 |
| Surface Lot Day/Event Parking | $4 | $6 |
| Surface Lot Monthly Parking* | $40–$55 | $50–$65 |
| Parkade Monthly - Random | $85 | $95 |
| Parkade Monthly - Reserved | $105 | $115 |
* See bylaw for exact rates specific to each City lot.
| Current Fines | New Fines | |
|---|---|---|
| Expired Time/Unpaid Parking | $40 | $80 |
| Reduced Ticket Amounts | $10, if paid within 24 hours $20, if paid within 30 days | $40, if paid within 24 hours $60, if paid within 30 days |
| Serious Parking Violations (e.g. obstructing a fire hydrant or crosswalk) | $50 | $100 |
| Reduced Ticket Amounts | $15, if paid within 24 hours $25, if paid within 30 days | $50, if paid within 24 hours $75, if paid within 30 days |
View the full March 31, 2026, report here.
Reports to Council
Proposed Neighbourhood Development in Iron Mask
Marvin Kwiatkowski, the City's Development, Engineering, and Sustainability Director, provided Council with an updated Official Community Plan amendment application and a rezoning application for 36.4 ha of land in the Iron Mask neighbourhood on the north side of the Trans-Canada Highway West to facilitate subdivision and development of light industrial, residential, mixed-use commercial/residential, and park uses. This revised application responds to the feedback provided by Council on January 13, 2026, and Council authorized the application to proceed to a public hearing.
- View the full report.
- View the presentation within the Council meeting slide deck.
- Contact for further information:
Joanna Mazzardis | jmazzardis@kamloops.ca
FireSmart Community and Funding Supports Grants
Kathleen Cahoon, the City's FireSmart Liaison, provided Council with a report to accept two grants under the FireSmart Community Funding and Support from the Union of BC Municipalities’ Community Resiliency Investment program:
- a two-year, $400,000 grant ($200,000 per year) to expand the City’s FireSmart Program by increasing staffing, reviewing bylaws and policies, managing green spaces, increasing education, and expanding emergency preparedness and events
- a $75,000 grant to perform fuel mitigation work in previously untreated areas immediately adjacent to residential communities to reduce crown fires, candling, and spotting potential from embers while maintaining biodiversity, stand resiliency, and other forest values and making the areas safer for firefighting personnel
View the full report.
View the presentation within the Council meeting slide deck.
Contact for further information:
Kathleen Cahoon | kcahoon@kamloops.ca
Kamloops Transit Update
Michael Lu, the City's Transportation Planner, provided Council with BC Transit’s 2024–2025 Customer Satisfaction Report, 2025 calendar-year transit performance statistics, 2024/2025 Annual Performance Summary, 2026/2027 Annual Operating Agreement, and transit fare increase.
Kamloops’ overall satisfaction score increased modestly to 3.38 out of 5, up from 3.27 the previous year, with half of respondents rating their experience 4 or 5. This upward trend suggests that recent investments in service and operational efforts are being noticed by riders. Transit use also increased, with 59% of respondents reporting they had used the system in the past year, up from 51% the previous year.
Ridership in Kamloops increased by 4.1% over the 2024/25 BC Transit fiscal year while revenue increased by 3.9%. The Kamloops Transit System has continued to perform above the average across comparable Tier 1 systems in British Columbia in operating cost recovery, has exceeded expectations in terms of passenger trips and total revenue, and has been below budget in total cost and operating cost per trip. As of December 2025, ridership recovery across the Kamloops Transit System was at 115% of pre-pandemic levels.
Council directed staff to advance the previously approved September 2027 fare increase to September 2026 and the September 2029 fare increase to September 2028 as follows:
| Fare Product | Current Fares | 2026 Fares (prev. 2027) | 2028 Fares (prev. 2029) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $2.25 | $2.50 | $3 |
| DayPASS | $4.50 | $5 | $6 |
| Monthly Pass – Adult | $55 | $55 | $70 |
| Monthly Pass – Concession | $35 | $35 | $40 |
| ProPASS | $45 | $47 | $50 |
| Student Semester Pass | $100 | $100 | $100 |
View the full report.
View the presentation within the Council meeting slide deck.
Contact for further information:
Michael Lu | mlu@kamloops.ca
2026 Japanese Beetle Response
Nicole Nicholls, the City's Archaeology and Environment Manager, provided Council with an update on the ongoing response and treatment of Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica) in Kamloops. If left unmanaged, this invasive pest can cause significant damage during its larval and adult stages. The larvae (also known as grubs) feed on root systems, causing extensive damage to grass, shrubs, turf, and garden crops. This poses a high risk to lawns, green spaces, and agriculture. Adult beetles can quickly defoliate plants, trees, and crops by skeletonizing the leaves. Japanese beetles cannot fly long distances on their own. The spread primarily occurs through human activities, such as the movement of plants with soil or soil-related matter attached from one area to another.
Treatment application has been proven highly effective in reducing beetle populations and is necessary for eradication. The larvicide Acelepryn is approved for use in Canada by Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency and is the recommended treatment for the Japanese beetle by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Province. It is not harmful to people, pets, other animals, or pollinators like bees or butterflies. It is applied directly to soil and turf areas to target root-eating grubs. The Province supplies the larvicide, with the application costs covered by the municipality. Each year, the Province issues a notice to treat public lands based on Japanese beetle detections confirmed in the previous year’s monitoring program. On February 27, 2026, the City received a notice to treat public lands for three areas in the city:
- the city centre, which is centred around Exhibition Park
- an area surrounding the Bunker Road Yard Waste Depot
- areas in Westsyde
The following is a summary of key activities to be undertaken in 2026 as part of the response to the Japanese beetle detections in 2025:
| Activity | Timing |
|---|---|
| Provincial Notice for Requirement to Treat | February 2026 |
| Communications (mail-outs, press releases, website updates, etc.) | April–June 2026 |
| Treatment | May 2026 |
| Updated Regulated Area | June 2026 |
| Canadian Food Inspection Agency Surveillance (trapping) | June–October 2026 |
| Japanese Beetle Response Wrap-Up Meeting | December 2026–January 2027 |
| Japanese beetle Response annual update to Council | February–March 2027 |
View the full memo.
View the presentation within the Council meeting slide deck.
Contact for further information:
Danielle Sparks | dsparks@kamloops.ca
Public Engagement Opportunities
Council received an update on upcoming community engagement opportunities, as listed below.
Featured Engagement Opportunities
- The City will be at the Tḱemlúps te Secwépemc Open House to share engagement information on Reimagine Downtown! and the arena multiplex.
- May 27, 2026, 2:00–5:00 pm, Moccasin Square Gardens, 357 Chief Alex Thomas Way.
- Visit LetsTalk.Kamloops.ca to participate in a survey for either topic until 11:59 pm on June 3, 2026.
- The City has launched a new web page called Let’s Learn to provide residents and Council with a trusted, easy-to-use source of clear, factual information about topics that often generate questions or confusion in our community. The site breaks down complex subjects, such as development cost charges, how local government works, and safety and security issues. Public submissions for topic suggestions will also be collected through this site.
Community Collaboration Activities
- Kamloops Pride and the City of Kamloops are joining forces to host an unforgettable day of inclusivity, joy, and unity. This event is a wonderful opportunity for the 2SLGBTQPIA+ community to explore programs and initiatives focused on building inclusivity and creating safe spaces. The Pride Open House will take place on Friday, June 12, 3:00–6:00 pm at the East end of Riverside Park, near the Sandman Centre.
Follow On Let's Talk Website
Subscribe to ongoing projects to be notified when engagement opportunities arise:
Notices of Motion
- Councillor Bass and Councillor Bepple presented a Notice of Motion: Data Centres, which will be considered at the June 9, 2026, regular Council meeting.
- Councillor Bass presented a Notice of Motion: Cooling Requirements Amid Extreme Heat Events, which will be considered at the June 9, 2026, regular Council meeting.
Committee Reports
Council Policy No. CO-1, Snow and Ice Control
In response to recommendations from the April 28, 2026, Committee of the Whole meeting, Council authorized adoption of Council Policy No. CO-1, Snow and Ice Control. This policy consolidates information from various service levels to establish clear definitions, service standards, priority classifications, equipment utilization guidelines, and timelines for snow and ice control. It acknowledges limitations, including weather conditions, staffing, equipment availability, and budgetary constraints, and communicates realistic expectations by clarifying that surfaces may not be cleared to bare pavement.
View the full Committee of the Whole report here.
Revitalization Tax Exemption Bylaw for the Kamloops Airport
In response to a recommendation from the April 28, 2026, Committee of the Whole meeting, Council directed staff to bring back a revitalization tax exemption bylaw for the Kamloops Airport for Council’s consideration (Option 1 in the report), with additional direction for the bylaw to:
- include commercial uses that may also be considered industrial, provided such uses are limited to those directly related to airside operations
- include a minimum new improvement value of $300,000 to be eligible
- have a 10-year period for a 100% tax exemption on the increased value of improvements
View the full Committee of the Whole report here.
Advocacy Regarding Fuel Pricing
In response to a recommendation from the April 28, 2026, Committee of the Whole meeting, Council resolved to send a letter to the BC Utilities Commission, with Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions Adrian Dix copied for information, regarding fuel pricing differences in Kamloops, following Council’s prior correspondence with Minister Dix.
Memorandum of Understanding with the Kamloops Centre for the Arts Society
In response to a recommendation from the May 12, 2026, Committee of the Whole meeting, Council directed staff to revise the draft memorandum of understanding with the Kamloops Centre for the Arts Society to include a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, consistent with the memorandum of understanding's guiding principles. Council also directed staff to:
- continue working with the Kamloops Centre for the Arts Society to finalize the memorandum of understanding
- present the final draft memorandum of understanding at a future Council meeting for authorization
- continue working with the Kamloops Centre for the Arts Society to establish a new society to operate the Kamloops Centre for the Arts, as per the timelines presented in the Memorandum of Understanding with the Kamloops Centre for the Arts Society and Board Recruitment Timeline Build Kamloops Select Committee report dated April 13, 2026
View the full report here.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Data Centre Policy
In response to a recommendation from the May 12, 2026, Committee of the Whole meeting, Council directed staff to bring forward a draft artificial intelligence (AI) data centre policy, addressing appropriate use, regulation, taxation, community benefit, and partnerships, for consideration by the Committee of the Whole at a later date.
Councillors' Report
- In response to Councillor Karpuk's report, Council resolved to support Kamloops Airport management and the Kamloops Airport Authority Society's intention to acquire one of the retired Royal Canadian Air Force Snowbird jets when available.
- In response to Councillor Neustaeter's report, Council resolved to amend the City’s Council Policy No. GGL-33 Alternative Approval Process (AAP) to accept Elector Response Forms submitted by email to either KamloopsAAP@kamloops.ca OR legislate@kamloops.ca. This change is retroactive to April 20, 2026, the start date of the alternative approval processes for 965 McMaster Way Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 57-4, 2025, and Tranquille Phase III Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 57-5, 2025.
