Kamloops mayor wants to pause big, expensive city projects

Construction is underway on one of the major Kamloops projects after voters gave their approval more than a year ago, but the city’s mayor wants to push pause until after the next election.

Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson is pushing council to vote on whether to postpone work on a downtown arts venue and an arena, currently projected to cost a combined $350 million.

His notice of motion suggests the construction projects are being built on shaky financial ground, pointing to “increasingly competitive” grant funding from provincial and federal governments, along with other major projects that will soon be added to the city’s books.

The debt that will fund both the performing arts centre and the multiplex arena were approved by voters in late 2024 after nay-sayers failed to amass enough signatures through the counter petition method. Kamloops taxpayers will shoulder $275 million in combined debt to fund the two projects, along with a handful of smaller projects added to the fold.

They’re expected to potentially be supported by grants from higher levels of government, but Hamer-Jackson’s motion suggests they’re not yet guaranteed and increasingly difficult to attain.

Meanwhile, there are several other upcoming civic construction projects that haven’t yet been approved. The most expensive of which is a new police station, last forecasted to require a $150 million loan to build.

Hamer-Jackson is calling for city hall to pause construction “except where legally required” to avoid financial penalties. He is also calling for staff to report back on the legal and financial implications of pausing the work.

Construction on the performing arts centre started last November and the arena is expected to begin this year, so it’s not clear to what extent the city can pause the work without taking on extra costs.

It’ll be debated at the March 24 council meeting.