Regular Council Meeting - February 24, 2026

City Hall front exterior

Addition to Council Calendar

New Committee of the Whole Meeting

Council authorized staff to schedule a Committee of the Whole meeting at 1:30 pm on March 3, 2026. The updated Council calendar can be found here.

Reports to Council

Kamloops RCMP 2025 Year-End Report

Supt. Jeff Pelley, Officer in Charge, Kamloops RCMP Detachment, provided Council with quarterly statistics and an annual year-end report on the work of the Kamloops RCMP Detachment. The report highlights a strategic, data-driven policing approach in the Kamloops area that produced measurable gains in reducing crime in several key categories, even as some challenges persist.

Overall, actual Criminal Code offences increased slightly (5%) in 2025 compared with 2024, but remain lower than in previous years. Notably, business break-ins, residential break-ins, and theft of motor vehicles decreased significantly, while shoplifting and theft from motor vehicles increased. Violent crime categories, such as assaults and robberies, generally decreased, and the Crime Reduction Unit, front line officers, and the Targeted Enforcement Unit—working with patrols and specialized teams—had success in targeting repeat offenders, which contributed to homicide investigations and complex criminal cases. The report emphasized ongoing strategic priorities, including crime reduction, community engagement, and road safety.

2025 Point-in-Time Count Results and Homelessness Response Efforts

Karina Laitres, the City's Social Development and Housing Supervisor, and Natasha Hartson, the City's Social, Housing, and Community Development Manager, provided Council with the 2025 Point-in-Time Count results and shared key roles for City staff to support the community response to homelessness. The 2025 Point-in-Time Count provided a comprehensive snapshot of homelessness in Kamloops by counting individuals experiencing homelessness over a 24-hour period on October 15–16, 2025. Volunteers counted 419 individuals, including 274 people in local shelters (with a 95% occupancy rate across approximately 287 beds) and 136 people in unsheltered locations, plus nine experiencing hidden homelessness.

The methodology followed the national Reaching Home requirements and involved 54 volunteers from local organizations, outreach teams, and people with lived experience. The count also included outreach on Tḱemlúps te Secwépemc lands. This year's count did not include full demographic surveys, and although additional observed and institutional data were collected to enrich the City's understanding, other data should be used for a more complete picture of local homelessness.

The City and its partners continue to support homelessness response coordination efforts and advocate for housing needs and daytime supports, noting that many individuals remain without shelter despite existing options.

Advocacy Directives Report

Sarah Candido, the City's Indigenous and External Relations Manager, provided Council with a report seeking direction on priority advocacy items for focused, in-person advancement in 2026, including information on active and ongoing advocacy matters related to Notices of Motion passed in regular Council meetings since January 2023.

Remaining active items from advocacy and Notices of Motion include, but are not limited to:

  • provincial funding for a sobering and assessment centre in Kamloops
  • provision of involuntary care in the Interior
  • a dedicated centre for emergency support services
  • pilot shortages and the lack of access to student loan programs
  • prevention of proposed BC Assessment roll changes
  • a requested provincial review of BC Housing-delivered housing and shelter programs
  • recovery-oriented supportive housing options

In addition to the Notices of Motion and other active advocacy items, on February 10, 2026, the Committee of the Whole provided the following priorities for Council’s confirmation and potential advancement:

  • public safety gaps
  • updating provincial statement of financial information report thresholds
  • recovery-oriented housing opportunities
  • capital infrastructure funding (specifically Build Kamloops projects)
  • increasing efficient access to public lands with regulatory process changes

Council authorized staff to arrange meetings with identified provincial and federal ministers and for funds to be allocated for Council travel from the existing 2026 Council budget. Information regarding intergovernmental meetings and ongoing advocacy efforts will be shared through approved media statements.

Notices of Motion

Councillors Sarai, Karpuk, and Neustaeter presented a Notice of Motion: Kamloops Airport Revitalization Tax Exemption, which will be considered at the March 10, 2026, regular Council meeting.