Kamloops

New Kamloops Labour Council president has her eye on the future

KAMLOOPS - Barbara Nederpel is the new president of the Kamloops and District Labour Council after being acclaimed this week. First vice president Nederpal was acclaimed Jan. 6 after former president Peter Kerek stepped aside earlier this week. Kerek ran for a city council seat in November but ultimately lost. Nederpel says she plans to...

Fast melt following massive snow a concern

KAMLOOPS - The next challenge the city could face following this week's snow storm is coping with rapid melting as temperatures rise. It has been more than 87 years since Kamloops has seen two-day snowfall amounts nearing the 40 centimetre mark and the storm had city crews scrambling to keep up earlier this week. The...

Spend your Valentine’s Day with Leonard Cohen

KAMLOOPS – Your Valentine’s Day plans could get a little more poetic if you buy tickets to the B.C. Living Arts’ latest event — Love L. Cohen — a Leonard Cohen themed dinner. The Valentine’s celebration taking place at the Coast Kamloops Conference Centre at 1250 Rogers Way, is a theatrical concert featuring many of Cohen’s songs...

Snow causes partial power-outage at university

KAMLOOPS – Students at Thompson Rivers University will have to go elsewhere on campus for services to get set up for the new semester after a generator blew out the power on a section of the campus earlier this week. Media spokesperson Diana Skoglund says the generator crashed after it got wet and loaded with...

Snow removal continues tonight

KAMLOOPS - City crews will again be working to clear accumulated snow in the Downtown and North Shore business areas Wednesday night through Friday. Work began in the areas Tuesday night but with nearly 40 centimetres of snow over a two-day period a lot more snow still needs to be cleared. On Wednesday, Jan. 7...

PHOTOS AND VIDEOS: Snow-dogs of the Thompson-Okanagan

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - You’d think four legs are better for getting around in the snow than two. But that’s not the case when you’re a dog and the snow is higher than you are. Like us humans, some Thompson-Okanagan dogs embraced the snow this week, while others sulked about it. You’ll see some grumpy dog faces...

Highway 1 remains closed because of avalanche risk

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A storm system that left behind upwards of 40 centimetres of snow in our region and closed some schools for two days has also shut down Highway 1 in several spots. Avalanche control took place between Craigellachie and Revelstoke Monday because of the high risk and that section of highway was again shut...

UPDATE: 1,200 still without power in Shuswap

SALMON ARM - More than 1,200 customers are still without power in the Shuswap area after power was restored to about 1,700 customers earlier today. A few customers have been without power since Tuesday afternoon but for many the power went out early Wednesday morning. B.C. Hydro is blaming the snow storm that buried the...

Most of Thompson-Okanagan well shy of record snowfall amounts

ONLY KELOWNA COMES CLOSE  THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Nearly enough snow fell on Kelowna to set new two-day snowfall records this week but it was nowhere near the amount that fell on Penticton in 1932. The storm began late Saturday evening and had ended in much of the region by Monday evening. After two days of solid...

School back on in Kamloops

KAMLOOPS - In case there was any doubt in your mind, yes schools are set to reopen in School District 73 Wednesday after two snow days in a row. Students have been out of school since Dec. 19 when winter break began. Schools were ready to reopen Monday, Jan. 5 but Mother Nature had other...

MAP: Sun Peaks has top valued properties in region

KAMLOOPS - The four most expensive properties in the Thompson Cariboo region total more than $11 million in value, and they are all located in Sun Peaks. The most expensive property is once again 4141 Douglas Crt at $3.51 million, though the value fell from the $3.545 it was pegged at in 2014. In total...

UPDATE: Freezing rain warning ends for Kamloops

KAMLOOPS - A freezing rain warning issued earlier this afternoon for Kamloops has ended Kamloops is still digging out after early 40 centimetres of snow fell at the Kamloops Airport over the course of the snow storm Sunday and Monday. Environment Canada issued a freezing rain warning shortly after noon with temperatures set to remain...

Fentanyl-laced heroin still in Kamloops

WARNING COMES ON HEELS OF VERNON OVERDOSES KAMLOOPS - The tainted drugs that have Vernon RCMP concerned following a recent rash of overdoses have been in Kamloops for awhile already but people have ‘learned how to use it’ according to an outreach worker. There have been six overdoses, including two fatal ones, in Vernon since...

Winter storm shuts down highways

BACK TO SEASONAL NORMALS BY END OF DAY THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A winter storm warning is over for much of the Southern Interior, but it has left toppled trees, black ice and high avalanche risk in its wake. A winter storm warning remains in place for the Shuswap and regions north and east of the Shuswap,...

UPDATE: Second day of school closures in Kamloops, TRU reopens

KAMLOOPS - After two days of almost constant snow, School District 73 will close schools for a second day on Tuesday, Jan. 6 though Thompson Rivers University is set to reopen. At 6:30 a.m. Monday the school district made the decision to keep schools closed because of the heavy snow and by later in the...

There is an end in sight to the snow

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – It’s been a long time since the Thompson-Okanagan received such a massive dump of snow in such a short time. “It has been quite an amazing snowfall so far,” Environment Canada meteorologist Lisa Coldwells says. By 10 a.m. Monday, we were looking at amounts which ranged from 25 centimetres in the South Okanagan,...

VIDEO: Another way to play in the snow

KAMLOOPS - Snow is great for sledding, skiing, snowboarding and show shoeing, and mountain biking. Wait, what? Yes, mountain biking. A group of mountain biking enthusiasts don’t let the snow stop them, instead they turn to ‘fatbiking’ it. When the snow flies in Kamloops members of Lekka Loops, a recreational mountain biking group in town,...

IN TWEETS: How the heavy snowfall is affecting Kamloops

KAMLOOPS - Schools are closed, transit buses are delayed, garbage pickup is slow going and only a few side streets will likely be plowed before mid-week. Yes, it’s a snow day in Kamloops. The city has been running snow-clearing equipment 24 hours and Public Works Director Jen Fretz says they have even hired contractors to...

Gold medal game on a snow day

COULD IT BE MORE CANADIAN? THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - You watched them come out on top in every game so far, including a win over the United States on New Year’s Eve, but today, as an unprecedented snow day shuts down schools across the Southern Interior, many of us are preparing to cheer on Team Canada during...

Travel advisories in effect for highways

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Heavy snowfall is limiting visibility on several Interior highways leading Drive B.C. to put out a travel advisory for both Highway 5 and Highway 97C. The Coquihalla Highway between Merritt and Kamloops and the Okanagan Connector both have travel advisories as of 8:30 a.m. Drive B.C. asks travellers to consider alternate plans or...

Power out at Sun Peaks

SUN PEAKS - More than 1,600 customers are without power in the Sun Peaks area this morning. B.C. Hydro is reporting an outage affecting 1,658 customers in a swath of area that runs from Heffley Creek to Sun Peaks. The outage began around 7:20 a.m. and the cause is currently under investigation. Power is expected...

Avalanche risk high in B.C., winter storm warning continues

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A winter storm warning remains in place and avalanche risk has been elevated to high throughout the region, even below treeline levels, and a section of Highway 1 is closed as crews complete avalanche control in the area. Environment Canada continues to issue a winter storm warning for much of the Southern Interior...

UPDATE: Snow day in Kamloops

KAMLOOPS - Today was supposed to be the first day back after winter break, but students in Kamloops are instead starting the new year with a snow day after heavy snowfall Sunday. School District 73 Supt. Karl de Bruijn says the unprecedented snowfall has made many roads impassable and staff have been unable to get...

More than 1,000 animals through SPCA doors in 2014

KAMLOOPS - Four weeks of full closures, plus several addition partial closures, 757 animals adopted and a desperate need for a new shelter are key 2014 highlights for the Kamloops SPCA. The year began with a ringworm outbreak that had nine animals under quarantine. The shelter had only just reopened after a massive ringworm outbreak...