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Kamloops City Council

Kamloops wineries look for support through petition

KAMLOOPS – A petition aimed at getting city council to drop a motion aimed at limiting where alcohol can be sold in Kamloops is slowly gathering support. The Kamloops Wine Trail has started a petition in an attempt to lobby city council to vote against a proposed motion that would place distance parameters between liquor...

One kilometer between liquor vendors in Kamloops a “ridiculous” idea

KAMLOOPS – Pitting the people who sell wine against those who make it, a public hearing will help Kamloops city council decide if there needs to be a kilometer between liquor vendors. The debate was started by Tracy Gray who owns Discovery Wines in Kamloops. She contends the city would be hit a “tsunami” of...

Businesses question how City of Kamloops handled pesticide ban

KAMLOOPS – Local lawn care businesses, directly affected by the new city pesticide ban, question the process which led to Kamloops city council’s decision. The City of Kamloops issued a ban on cosmetic pesticide use on Tuesday, July 14. As of January 1, 2016, pesticide use is no longer permitted on residential lawns, flower beds...

Kamloops pesticide ban passes, will be implemented January 2016

KAMLOOPS – Next year residents of Kamloops will no longer be able to hire licensed applicators to spray their lawns or ornamental shrubs. A ban on cosmetic pesticide use was passed today, July 14, in city council to a round of applause from those who remained in council chambers for the decision.  The proposed ban,...

Pesticide ban back on the table in Kamloops

KAMLOOPS – The notion of a Kamloops-wide ban on cosmetic pesticide use is back on the city’s agenda this week. Tabled on June 2, the debate has seen lobbying from both sides of the aisle via the media, city council delegations and online petitions. First introduced as a motion by Coun. Tina Lange about six weeks...

Second week of Emterra strike with no end in site

KAMLOOPS – After four months of talks and two weeks of strike aciton, Emterra Environmental and its Steelworkers Union employees appear no closer to ending their labour dispute than when they began. Union head Marty Gibbons is currently in Langley bargaining on behalf of airport screeners. “Trust me; it’s going much better,” he says in...

Support for late night patios at new Kamloops casino

KAMLOOPS – When the new casino in Aberdeen opens later this summer patrons will be able to sit on a Cascades Casino patio into the wee hours of the morning. Located on Versatile Drive just off the highway near the Aberdeen and Pine View Valley neighbourhoods, council shot down a city staff suggestion to close...

City of Kamloops could spend $10 million to buy Owl Road landfill

KAMLOOPS – The City of Kamloops is looking to spend $10 million to acquire the Owl Road landfill and convert it into a resource recovery centre to dispose of construction and demolition waste. The landfill is currently valued at $6.3 million. Creating the centre and an additional Public Works and Utilities satellite yard has an...

Summer storms lead to review of Kamloops watershed

KAMLOOPS – A major storm in July 2014 ravaged Peterson Creek and other areas of Kamloops and now the city is reviewing the watershed plans to ensure everything possible is being done to protect those areas. The July 23, 2014, storm came in fast and hard, causing flash flooding of city roads, underpasses and trails...

Taking the next step towards a performing arts centre

KAMLOOPS – The next step in moving forward on a referendum for the proposed performing arts centre is set to take place this week. Residents will be asked if they are in favour of the city borrowing up to $49 million to design and construct the parkade and performing arts centre complex in a fall...

Kamloops pesticide debate put off until July

KAMLOOPS – A motion to prohibit cosmetic pesticides drew a large crowd to council chambers this week, but council was not quite ready to have the discussion many residents seemed more than ready to start. Residents packed council chambers yesterday, Tuesday, June 2, to voice their opinions regarding Coun. Tina Lange’s motion to further prohibit...

Councillor’s motion asks liquor vendors to keep their distance

KAMLOOPS – There could be new restrictions put in place to give liquor vendors a buffer zone if a motion being proposed by a councillor gains any traction. Coun. Marg Spina will be putting a motion forward asking for distance parameters on new liquor licenses. She is asking the city to change the zoning bylaw...

Anonymous donation makes cenotaph facelift a reality

KAMLOOPS – The clocks on the Battle Street cenotaph could soon be ticking once again, thanks to a $50,000 anonymous donation. This week council approved to accept an anonymous donation meant specifically to repair cenotaph. The project originally sought funding in the fall of 2014. Repairing the cenotaph and completing landscape alterations was expected to...

Performing arts centre referendum: Are you in favour of a $49M debt?

KAMLOOPS – Are you in favour of the City of Kamloops borrowing up to $49 million to design and construct the parkade and performing arts centre complex? That will likely be the official question of a fall referendum. A steering committee looked at several questions and came back recommending this one because it was the...

Hospital laundry workers deliver petition to province in attempt to save jobs

KAMLOOPS – Members of the Hospital Employees’ Union took stand on the steps of the provincial legislature in an attempt to save almost 200 jobs. Yesterday morning, May 14, the laundry workers presented a petition of over 12,000 signatures to three NDP MLAs including opposition health critic Judy Darcy prior to it being tabled during...

$7.4M Tranquille Road project set for public open house

KAMLOOPS – Improvements to the Tranquille Road corridor are set to focus on landscaping, multi-use paths and signage, and could cost $7.4 million. The Tranquille Road Beautification Task Force presented an extremely detailed plan of how to better roughly three kilometers from Desmond Street to Airport Road to council on Tuesday afternoon. Much of the...

Columbia Street construction costs going up

KAMLOOPS – Work hasn't even started on Columbia Street and the construction project is already set to cost the city more than originally anticipated. Based on the bids that were submitted the project is now expected to cost roughly $4.8 million, nearly $900,000 more than the city originally allocated. Now staff is asking council to...

Council prepares for likely performing arts centre referendum

KAMLOOPS – The results of the performing arts centre open house have been collated and based on discussion at City Hall Tuesday it looks like a referendum will, most likely, happen by late fall. While the topic of the centre produced a lively question and answer session in council chambers Tuesday, May 5, the big...

City council to decide what’s next for performing arts centre

KAMLOOPS – The people have spoken, the comments have been sorted and now city council members will review them and decide what the next steps should be on the proposed performing arts centre. The city received public feedback regarding the proposed performing arts centre at an open house April 18. City staff have continued to...

New Gold looks to expand; asks to increase air discharge rate

KAMLOOPS – The New Afton Mine just west of Kamloops wants its air quality restrictions to reflect it is now operational, and allow for growth. The mine has moved from construction to operational phase, and now wants to be allowed to increase the maximum air discharge rate from the underground workings of the mine. The...

Cavers’ motion to change environmental assessment timelines for Ajax Mine defeated

KAMLOOPS – There is no appetite around the council table to ask the province to change the deadlines surrounding the environmental assessment process for the proposed Ajax Mine. Coun. Donovan Cavers wanted his fellow council members to ask the province to delay the 75-day public comment period after KGHM submitted its environmental application to give...

Kamloops council considers reducing transit fares

KAMLOOPS – Ridership takes precedence over transit expenses, city council has decided, and as a result city staff will now put together a proposal on a fare decrease in an effort to help increase ridership in the city. In an attempt to follow the goals of the Sustainable Kamloops Plan by increasing ridership, and answer...

Council prepares to dig into urban ag plan

KAMLOOPS – How would you like to have chickens for neighbours?  That is one of the questions city councillors will discuss when they meet Tuesday morning to discuss the draft food and urban agricultural plan, a 66-page document outlining a food systems and urban agriculture plan for the city. The preliminary groundwork has been done,...