Kamloops Tk'əmlúps[1] | |
|---|---|
City | |
 Downtown fromKenna Cartwright Park  TheWest End's Old Courthouse  Street art on Seymour Street  Mountain biking at Kamloops Bike Ranch | |
 Flag  Coat of arms  Logo | |
| Motto(s): Salus et Opes (Health and Wealth) | |
  Kamloops Kamloops (Canada) Show map of Canada | |
| Coordinates:50°40′33″N120°20′22″W / 50.67583°N 120.33944°W /50.67583; -120.33944[2] | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Region | Thompson Country |
| Regional district | Thompson–Nicola |
| Founded | 1811 (fur trading post) |
| Incorporated | 1893 |
| Amalgamated | 1973 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Elected city council |
| • Mayor | Reid Hamer-Jackson |
| • Governing body | Kamloops City Council |
| • MP | Frank Caputo |
| • MLAs | Peter Milobar Ward Stamer |
| Area | |
| • Land | 299.25 km2 (115.54 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 345 m (1,132 ft) |
| Population | |
• City | 97,902 |
| • Metro | 114,142 |
| Demonym | Kamloopsian |
| Time zone | UTC−08:00 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−07:00 (PDT) |
| Forward sortation area | |
| Area codes | 250,778,236,672 |
| GNBC Code | JAFNW[7] |
| NTS Map | 92I9 Kamloops[7] |
| Website | kamloops |
Kamloops (/ˈkæmluːps/KAM-loops) is a city in south-centralBritish Columbia, Canada, at the confluence of theNorth andSouth Thompson Rivers, which join to become theThompson River in Kamloops, and east ofKamloops Lake. The city is the administrative centre for, and largest city in, theThompson-Nicola Regional District, a region of theBritish Columbia Interior.
The city was incorporated in 1893 with about 500 residents. TheCanadian Pacific Railway was completed through downtown in 1886, and theCanadian National arrived in 1912, making Kamloops an important transportation hub.Kamloops North station is the first stop onVIA Rail's eastbound transcontinental service,The Canadian, while theRocky Mountaineer and theKamloops Heritage Railway both useKamloops station.
With a 2021 population of 97,902, it is thetwelfth largest municipality in the province.[3] The Kamloopscensus agglomeration is ranked 36th amongcensus metropolitan areas and agglomerations in Canada with a 2021 population of 114,142.[6]
Acollege town, Kamloops is home toThompson Rivers University as well as theRoyal Inland Hospital and theBritish Columbia Lottery Corporation, all of which significantly shape the city's economy. Kamloops is promoted as theTournament Capital of Canada. It hosts more than 100 sporting tournaments each year at facilities such as theTournament Capital Centre,Sandman Centre, and Tournament Capital Ranch. More recently, Kamloops has become amountain biking destination; home to Canada's largest municipal bike park, the 26-hectare Kamloops Bike Ranch, the city is often described as the birthplace offreeride mountain biking.[8][9][10]
The first European explorers arrived in 1811.David Stuart, a trader sent fromFort Astoria, then still aPacific Fur Company post, spent a winter with theSecwépemc people. In May of the following year, traderAlexander Ross established a post, which was known as "Fort Cumcloups".
The rivalNorth West Company established Fort Shuswap nearby in the same year. The two businesses merged in 1813 when the North West Company bought the operations of the Pacific Fur Company. In 1821, theHudson's Bay Company merged with the North West Company, and the post became known commonly as Thompson's River Post, or Fort Thompson. Later it was known as Fort Kamloops.[11] The post's Chief Traders kept journals, which document a series of inter-Indian wars and personalities for the period, in addition to the daily business of the fur companies and their personnel along the entirePacific Slope.
Soon after the forts were founded, Kwa'lila, chief of the main local village of the Secwépemc, moved his people closer to thetrading post, so they could control access and gain in prestige and security. After Kwa'lila died, his nephew and foster sonNicola became chief. He later led an alliance ofSyilx (Okanagan) andNlaka'pamux peoples in the plateau country to the south aroundStump,Nicola andDouglas lakes.
Relations between Nicola and thefur traders were often tense, but Chief Nicola was recognized for his aid to European settlers during theFraser Canyon Gold Rush of 1858. He did try to control those who had been in parties waging violence and looting on theOkanagan Trail, which led from American territory to theFraser goldfields.[12][13] Throughout, Kamloops was an important way station on the route of theHudson's Bay Brigade Trail, which connectedFort Vancouver withFort Alexandria and the other forts inNew Caledonia to the north (today'sOmineca Country, roughly). It was integral during the onset of theCariboo Gold Rush as the main route to the new goldfields around what was to becomeBarkerville.
The1862 Pacific Northwest smallpox epidemic swept through the Kamloops area during the summer of that year, decimating the Secwepemc, Nlaka'pamux, and other indigenous peoples. They had no acquired immunity. The epidemic had started inVictoria and quickly spread throughout British Columbia, especially among First Nations. In June 1862, indigenous people went to Fort Kamloops seekingsmallpox vaccine, William Manson, chief clerk at the fort, vaccinated numerous persons, but fatalities were extremely high. In late September he reported "smallpox still raging amongst the Indians".
In October a newspaper in Victoria reported an eyewitness account from Fort Kamloops, saying
The Indians have been nearly exterminated at [Kamloops]: only sixteen have escaped out of a large settlement. Their bodies are strewing the ground in all directions.
About two-thirds of the Secwepemc died during the epidemic. In the aftermath, colonists took over traditional lands of the Secwepemc and many other indigenous groups throughout British Columbia.[14][15][16][17]
The gold rush of the 1860s and the construction of theCanadian Pacific Railway, which reached Kamloops from the West in 1885,[18] brought further growth. The City of Kamloops was incorporated in 1893 with a population of about 500, mostly concentrated in theWest End.
In 1908 due to theTuberculosis Pandemic a sanatorium was opened west of the city named King Edward Memorial Sanatorium, the sanatorium was later acquired by the provincial government in 1921, being renamed toTranquille Sanatorium, it later closed in 1958. The Tranquille Institution reopened in 1959 to treat people with mental problems it later closed in 1983.
In 1967, Kamloops amalgamated with the Town ofNorth Kamloops.
In 1973, Kamloops amalgamated with the Districts ofBrocklehurst, Dufferin, the Town ofValleyview, and theKamloops Indian Band, and the communities of Dallas, Campbell Creek, Barnhart Vale, Heffley Creek, Rayleigh, Westsyde and Knutsford. In 1976, the Kamloops Indian Band split from the City of Kamloops.
In May 2021, an anthropologist announced she had usedground-penetrating radar to find "probable" graves containing the remains of 215 children found ata former Kamloops Indian residential school, part of theCanadian Indian residential school system.[19] The story was reported around the world, and fiveCatholic churches in Western Canada were burned down in the weeks following, since the school was operated by a Catholic order.[20] However, this story cannot be completely confirmed until bodies are exhumed.[21][22][23]
"Kamloops" is the anglicized version of theShuswap word "Tk'əmlúps", meaning "meeting of the waters". Shuswap is still spoken in the area by members of the Tk'emlúps Indian Band.[24]
An alternate origin sometimes given for the name may have come from the native name's accidental similarity to the French "Camp des loups", meaning "Camp of Wolves"; many earlyfur traders were ethnic French.[11] There are folk stories about an attack on a traders' camp by a pack of wolves. Other legendary versions recount a huge white wolf, or a pack of wolves and other animals, that were moving overland from theNicola Country and were repelled by a single shot by John Tod, then chief trader. This prevented the wolves from attacking the fort and earned Tod a great degree of respect locally.[25]
Kamloops is in the Thompson Valley and theMontane Cordillera Ecozone. The city's centre is in the valley near the confluence of the Thompson River's north and south branches. Suburbs stretch for more than a dozen kilometres along the north and south branches, as well as to the steep hillsides along the south portion of the city and lower northeast hillsides. The area surrounding the city is sometimes referred to as theThompson Country.
Robert W. Service in 1904 described Kamloops as his delightful life and wrote "Life was pleasant, and the work was light. At four o'clock we were on our horses, riding over the rolling ridges, or into spectral gulches that rose to ghostlier mountains. It was like the scenery of Mexico, weirdly desolate and aridly morose. A discouraging land, forbidding in its weariness and resigned to ruin."
Kamloops Indian Band areas begin just to the northeast of the downtown core but are not within the city limits. As a result of this placement, it is necessary to leave Kamloops' city limits and pass through the band lands before re-entering the city limits to access the northernmost communities ofRayleigh andHeffley Creek. Kamloops is surrounded by the smaller communities of Cherry Creek,Pritchard,Savona,Scotch Creek,Adams Lake,Chase, Paul Lake,Pinantan and various others.
The following are the officially recognized neighbourhoods within the city of Kamloops.[26] Informally recognized sub-areas are listed beneath the neighbourhoods to which they belong:
The climate of Kamloops issemi-arid (Köppen climate classificationBSk) due to itsrain shadow location. Kamloops gets short winter cold snaps where temperatures can drop to around or below −30 °C (−22 °F) whenArctic air manages to cross theRockies andColumbia Mountains into theInterior.
Kamloops has the third mildest winter of any non-coastal city in Canada, afterPenticton andKelowna.[27] The coldest months are December and January, when the mean temperatures are −2.0 °C (28 °F) and −2.7 °C (27 °F).[28] That average sharply increases with an average maximum temperature of 3.9 °C (39 °F) in February. Between November and January the area experiences abundant cloud cover due to a continual series of Pacific coastal Low Pressure systems crossing British Columbia, reducing the annual sunshine output, despite very sunny summers.The average number of days where the minimum temperatures drops below −10 °C (14 °F) per year is 19 as recorded byEnvironment Canada.The average number of days where the Maximum temperature goes above 30 °C (86 °F) is 36, above 35 °C (95 °F) is 8 days.[28]
Although Kamloops is above50° north latitude, growing seasons are long, with hot periods every summer under dry and sunny weather. Daytimehumidity often drops below 20% during dry periods, which allows for substantial nighttime cooling. Occasional summer thunderstorms can create dry-lightning conditions, sometimes igniting forest fires which the area is prone to.
Kamloops lies in the rain shadow leeward of theCoast Mountains and is biogeographically connected to similar semi-desert areas in theOkanagan region, and a much larger area covering the central/eastern portions ofWashington,Oregon andintermontane areas ofNevada,Utah andIdaho in the US.
These areas of relatively similar climate have many distinctive native plants and animals in common, such asponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa),big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata),prickly pear cactus (Opuntia fragilis in this case),rattlesnakes,black widow spiders andLewis's woodpecker.
The highest temperature ever recorded in Kamloops was 47.3 °C (117 °F) on 29 June 2021, which was the fifth-highest reading recorded in Canada, and the highest recorded in any city of over 10,000 people, during the infamous2021 Western North America heat wave.[29][30][31] The lowest temperature ever recorded was −38.3 °C (−37 °F) on 16 and 18 January 1950.[32]
| Climate data forKamloops Airport, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1890–present[a] | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record highhumidex | 15.8 | 17.0 | 23.3 | 31.9 | 36.8 | 48.0 | 40.4 | 40.3 | 38.4 | 31.2 | 22.8 | 15.0 | 48.0 |
| Record high °C (°F) | 16.1 (61.0) | 17.8 (64.0) | 23.3 (73.9) | 33.3 (91.9) | 37.8 (100.0) | 47.3 (117.1) | 41.7 (107.1) | 40.8 (105.4) | 38.3 (100.9) | 31.3 (88.3) | 22.8 (73.0) | 16.1 (61.0) | 47.3 (117.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 0.4 (32.7) | 3.9 (39.0) | 10.7 (51.3) | 16.5 (61.7) | 22.0 (71.6) | 25.1 (77.2) | 29.3 (84.7) | 28.8 (83.8) | 22.8 (73.0) | 13.6 (56.5) | 5.8 (42.4) | 1.0 (33.8) | 15.0 (59.0) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −2.7 (27.1) | −0.2 (31.6) | 5.2 (41.4) | 9.9 (49.8) | 15.0 (59.0) | 18.4 (65.1) | 21.9 (71.4) | 21.3 (70.3) | 16.0 (60.8) | 8.6 (47.5) | 2.3 (36.1) | −2.0 (28.4) | 9.5 (49.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −5.7 (21.7) | −4.3 (24.3) | −0.5 (31.1) | 3.2 (37.8) | 8.1 (46.6) | 11.6 (52.9) | 14.5 (58.1) | 13.7 (56.7) | 9.2 (48.6) | 3.5 (38.3) | −1.1 (30.0) | −5.0 (23.0) | 3.9 (39.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −38.3 (−36.9) | −32.8 (−27.0) | −26.1 (−15.0) | −10.6 (12.9) | −5.6 (21.9) | 0.6 (33.1) | 3.3 (37.9) | 0.6 (33.1) | −3.9 (25.0) | −17.1 (1.2) | −30.0 (−22.0) | −36.1 (−33.0) | −38.3 (−36.9) |
| Record lowwind chill | −42.0 | −36.7 | −33.9 | −13.0 | −5.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | −6.5 | −23.2 | −39.1 | −45.1 | −45.1 |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 21.1 (0.83) | 12.4 (0.49) | 12.8 (0.50) | 14.2 (0.56) | 27.3 (1.07) | 37.4 (1.47) | 31.4 (1.24) | 23.7 (0.93) | 29.4 (1.16) | 19.4 (0.76) | 23.3 (0.92) | 25.4 (1.00) | 277.6 (10.93) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 5.3 (0.21) | 5.9 (0.23) | 9.7 (0.38) | 14.0 (0.55) | 27.3 (1.07) | 37.4 (1.47) | 31.4 (1.24) | 23.7 (0.93) | 29.4 (1.16) | 19.0 (0.75) | 14.2 (0.56) | 7.1 (0.28) | 224.3 (8.83) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 18.7 (7.4) | 8.0 (3.1) | 3.5 (1.4) | 0.2 (0.1) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.3 (0.1) | 10.9 (4.3) | 21.9 (8.6) | 63.5 (25.0) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 9.7 | 7.2 | 6.8 | 6.2 | 10.2 | 10.7 | 8.4 | 8.0 | 7.6 | 9.0 | 10.0 | 11.7 | 105.6 |
| Average rainy days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 3.6 | 3.8 | 5.5 | 6.1 | 10.2 | 10.7 | 8.3 | 8.0 | 7.6 | 8.8 | 7.1 | 3.4 | 83.3 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.2 cm) | 7.6 | 4.1 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 3.9 | 9.3 | 27.4 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 72.6 | 60.0 | 43.0 | 35.6 | 36.2 | 36.4 | 33.5 | 34.4 | 41.4 | 52.9 | 65.9 | 70.9 | 48.6 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 55.2 | 95.6 | 165.3 | 202.8 | 251.6 | 252.0 | 303.4 | 289.5 | 223.3 | 130.9 | 63.7 | 46.6 | 2,079.8 |
| Percentagepossible sunshine | 20.9 | 33.9 | 45.0 | 49.0 | 52.4 | 51.2 | 61.2 | 64.3 | 58.7 | 39.2 | 23.5 | 18.6 | 43.2 |
| Source:Environment Canada[28][33][34][35] | |||||||||||||
| Hottest summer Max. | Most days above 30 °C (86 °F) | Driest | Warmest spring | Fewest fog days | Most sunny days in warm months | Most growing degree days | Most days without precipitation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank among 100 largest Canadian cities | 1st | 1st | 2nd (next toWhitehorse) | 2nd (next toChilliwack) | 2nd (next toPenticton) | 2nd (next toPortage la Prairie) | 3rd (next toWindsor andSt. Catharines) | 3rd (next toMedicine Hat andLethbridge) | |||||
| Value | 27.73 °C (81.9 °F) | 35.9 | 272.9 mm (10.74 in) | 10.03 °C (50.1 °F) | 7.28 | 148.93 | 2308.61 | 258.12 | |||||
| Data is forKamloops Airport (YKA), in the city of Kamloops, 5 NM (9.3 km; 5.8 mi) west northwest of the town.[36][5] | |||||||||||||
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1881 | 200 | — |
| 1891 | 1,500 | +650.0% |
| 1901 | 1,359 | −9.4% |
| 1911 | 3,772 | +177.6% |
| 1921 | 4,501 | +19.3% |
| 1931 | 6,167 | +37.0% |
| 1941 | 5,959 | −3.4% |
| 1951 | 8,099 | +35.9% |
| 1956 | 9,096 | +12.3% |
| 1961 | 10,076 | +10.8% |
| 1966 | 10,759 | +6.8% |
| 1971 | 26,168 | +143.2% |
| 1976 | 58,311 | +122.8% |
| 1981 | 64,048 | +9.8% |
| 1986 | 61,773 | −3.6% |
| 1991 | 67,057 | +8.6% |
| 1996 | 76,394 | +13.9% |
| 2001 | 77,281 | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 80,376 | +4.0% |
| 2011 | 85,678 | +6.6% |
| 2016 | 90,280 | +5.4% |
| 2021 | 97,902 | +8.4% |
| Sources:Statistics Canada[37][38] | ||
In the2021 Census of Population conducted byStatistics Canada, Kamloops had a population of 97,902 living in 39,914 of its 41,619 total private dwellings, a change of8.4% from its 2016 population of 90,280. With a land area of 297.93 km2 (115.03 sq mi), it had a population density of328.6/km2 (851.1/sq mi) in 2021.[39]
At thecensus metropolitan area (CMA) level in the 2021 census, the Kamloops CMA had a population of114,142 living in47,102 of its50,235 total private dwellings, a change of10% from its 2016 population of103,811. With a land area of 5,654.08 km2 (2,183.05 sq mi), it had a population density of20.2/km2 (52.3/sq mi) in 2021.[40]
According to the2021 census, religious groups in Kamloops included:[41]
| Panethnic group | 2021[41] | 2016[43] | 2011[44] | 2006[45] | 2001[46] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
| European[b] | 74,430 | 78.71% | 71,765 | 82.17% | 71,760 | 85.71% | 69,250 | 87.17% | 68,305 | 88.92% |
| Indigenous | 9,885 | 10.45% | 8,600 | 9.85% | 6,245 | 7.46% | 5,165 | 6.5% | 3,965 | 5.16% |
| South Asian | 4,260 | 4.51% | 2,455 | 2.81% | 1,970 | 2.35% | 1,540 | 1.94% | 1,720 | 2.24% |
| East Asian[c] | 2,420 | 2.56% | 2,270 | 2.6% | 2,135 | 2.55% | 1,940 | 2.44% | 1,810 | 2.36% |
| Southeast Asian[d] | 1,410 | 1.49% | 910 | 1.04% | 740 | 0.88% | 840 | 1.06% | 450 | 0.59% |
| African | 985 | 1.04% | 550 | 0.63% | 235 | 0.28% | 215 | 0.27% | 335 | 0.44% |
| Latin American | 490 | 0.52% | 310 | 0.35% | 135 | 0.16% | 195 | 0.25% | 120 | 0.16% |
| Middle Eastern[e] | 320 | 0.34% | 250 | 0.29% | 355 | 0.42% | 120 | 0.15% | 65 | 0.08% |
| Other[f] | 370 | 0.39% | 230 | 0.26% | 145 | 0.17% | 165 | 0.21% | 50 | 0.07% |
| Total responses | 94,560 | 96.59% | 87,340 | 96.74% | 83,725 | 97.72% | 79,445 | 98.84% | 76,815 | 99.4% |
| Total population | 97,902 | 100% | 90,280 | 100% | 85,678 | 100% | 80,376 | 100% | 77,281 | 100% |
Kamloops historically had aChinatown on Victoria Street where most ethnic Chinese lived. John Stewart of theKamloops Museum and Archives stated it was not a "trueChinatown".[47] It was established by Chinese immigrants by 1887, and by 1890 the community had up to 400 Chinese. Stewart said this was an "amazingly large" population for the rural area.[48] By the 1890s, about 33% of Kamloops were ethnic Chinese; they worked primarily on construction of theCanadian Pacific Railway.[49]
Economic changes in Kamloops resulted in many Chinese seeking work elsewhere. In addition, there were two fires in 1892 and 1893, and a 1911–1914 demolition that dismantled the Chinatown.[50]Peter Wing, the first ethnic Chinese mayor in North America, was elected in 1966 and served three terms as the Mayor of Kamloops.[49]
In the 1880s theKamloops' Chinese Cemetery was founded in Kamloops, the only one in the province dedicated to Chinese pioneers.[49] It is one of the largest cemeteries in the province,[49] but the last interment was made there in the 1960s.[51]
In 2013 the provincial government announced it would begin a consultation process to discuss wording of a formal apology to Chinese in B.C. for past wrongs. Joe Leong, president of the Kamloops Chinese Cultural Association, said he believed that the province should build a museum to honour Chinese history in the province, as a way to recognize the contributions of the people. As Kamloops had the only cemetery dedicated to the Chinese pioneers, he felt this city would be an appropriate site for the museum.[49]
Kamloops' economy includes healthcare, tourism, education, transportation, and natural resource extraction industries.
TheRoyal Inland Hospital (RIH) is the city's largest employer. RIH is the region's acute care and health facility and is one of two tertiary referral hospitals in the Southern Interior with 239 acute beds and an additional 20 more beds upon completion of the expansion in 2016.[52]
Thompson Rivers University (TRU) serves a student body of 25,754 including a diverse international contingent mainly from Asian countries.[53]Thompson Rivers University, Open Learning (TRU-OL) is the biggest distance education provider in British Columbia and one of the biggest in Canada.
Heavy industries in the Kamloops area include primary resource processing such asDomtar Kamloops Pulp Mill, Tolko-Heffley Creek Plywood and Veneer, New Gold Inc - New Afton Mine, and Highland Valley Copper Mine (inLogan Lake).
Four major highways join in Kamloops, theBC Highway 1 (Trans-Canada Highway), the Coquihalla Highway (BC highway 5 south of the city), theYellowhead Highway (BC Highway 5 north of the city) andBC Highway 97, making it a transportation hub and a place which attracts business. There are over 50 trucking and transport companies located in Kamloops that ship across Canada and into the United States.[54] Both the Canadian Pacific Railway and theCanadian National Railway service Kamloops with both lines running through the city.[54]
Kamloops welcomed 1.8 million visitors in 2017, a 9% increase from 2015 (1.64 million).
Tourism's economicROI is immense. A$1.8 million destination marketing budget returned $449 million in economic benefit in 2017.The annual Direct Visitor Expenditure is estimated at $270 million, a 19% increase from 2015 ($227 million). Further, the total estimated tourism economic impact was $449 million in 2017, a 32.4% increase from 2015 ($339 million).[55]
Tourism generates many types of income for the region, including business income, wage earnings, share earnings, rates and levies. Conservation springs from industry-wide support for management, research and education initiatives that benefit everyone throughresponsible tourism management.
Kamloops has over 50 accommodation choices[56] from major hotels to bed and breakfasts. Accommodation occupancy rates were 61.5% in 2017, up 2.6% from 2016.
Kamloops culture has grown in recent years to celebrate local talent that includes: culinary arts, sports, live entertainment, and fine art.
Kamloops hosts a range of cultural events year-round including:
Kamloops is home to many galleries including nationally recognized Kamloops Art Gallery,[67]Secwepemc Museum and Heritage Park; the Kamloops Museum and Archives, the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra,[68] andWestern Canada Theatre.
There are 29 outdoor murals – the Back Alley Art Gallery- throughout downtown Kamloops that the Kamloops Central Business Improvement Association has spearheaded since the 2000s. Artists that have contributed to this project include: Zack Abney; Kylene Cachelin; Evan Christina; Kelly Wright; Ken Wells; Alex Moir-Porteus; Robin Hodgson; Jack Morris;Janice Gurney, and Marianna Abutalipova.
Project X Theatre, an outdoor theatre festival located in Kamloops. The company creates a summer outdoor theatre festival in Prince Charles Park, just east of Downtown Kamloops. Established in 2006, Project X Theatre originally produced productions of Shakespeare, however, recently the company has shifted over to more family friendly shows. Randi Edmundson is the current Artistic Producer. Previous artistic directors include Samantha MacDonald, Derek Rein, Heather Cant, Melissa purcha, and Dušan Magdolen.
TheWestern Canada Theatre is a professional theatre company located in Kamloops. The company manages and performs in two spaces: the 681-seat Sagebrush Theatre and the 150-seat Pavilion Theatre. Kelli Fox is the current artistic director of the theatre company. Previous artistic directors include Tom Kerr (founder), Frank Glassen, David Ross, Michael Dobbin, John Cooper, Jeremy Tow, Daryl Cloran, and James MacDonald.[69]
Popular attractions include: the Adams River Sockeye Salmon Run;[70] Kamloops Bike Ranch;BC Wildlife Park;Kamloops Heritage Railway; Kamloops Wine Trail;Secwepemc Museum, andTranquille Sanatorium
Since 2012, four wineries have been established in the Thompson Valley wine region[71] including: Sagewood Winery; Harper's Trail Winery; Monte Creek Ranch Winery, and Privato Vineyard and Winery. Since 2010, five micro-breweries have opened up in Kamloops including: Noble Pig Brewhouse; Red Collar Brewing, Alchemy Brewing, Bright Eye Brewing and Iron Road Brewing. Since 2020, some craft distilleries have opened up in Kamloops including: Route 1 Distillery
Since 2007, Chefs in the City has been established as a "celebration of culinary arts, fine wine and beer from Kamloops and the surrounding region."[72] This annual event is presented by the Rotary Club of Kamloops and had raised over $400,000 by 2020.[73]
Kamloops is emerging as an award-winning wine region with a climate perfect for growing grapes. It is home to four award-winning wineries: Harper's Trail,Monte Creek Ranch, Privato and Sagewood.[74][75] Kamloops has over 120 acres under vine. Thetop grapes planted by local wineries areRiesling,Chardonnay,pinot gris,pinot noir,Cabernet Franc,Marechal Foch andMarquette.
Since 1998, the Kamloops Wine Festival has taken place in the spring as a fundraiser to support the Kamloops Art Gallery. The Kamloops Wine Festival had raised over $200,000 by 2018.[76]
In 2014, Brewloops Beer Festival was established as a non-profit organization that promotes Kamloops culture across the city throughout the year. Brewloops celebrates BCcraft beer, music, and entertainment with the wider Kamloops community and had donated $27,000 to community groups by 2018.[77] Bands that have performed at Brewloops include:Delhi 2 Dublin,Yukon Blonde, and at Mission Dolores.
Kamloops is an outdoor mecca for activities like hiking and mountain biking with an extensive trail network for year-round adventure. Multiple nearby lakes offer paddling, kayaking and fishing.
Known as theTournament Capital of Canada, Kamloops has hosted many tournaments and is home to a range of professional athletes from many sports. Kamloops has the Kamloops Sports Hall of Fame, which includes2008 Summer Olympics bronze medallistDylan Armstrong and the National Finalist Roma's soccer team.[78]
With 100 lakes within an hour's drive, Kamloops has some of the best freshwater fishing in North America. Every year, the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BCstocks lakes in the Thompson-Nicola region with roughly 1,000,000 fish includingrainbow trout,brook trout, andkokanee salmon.
Kamloops is known for its professional anglers including Brian Chan,[79] Jordan Oelrich,[80] and Brennan Lund.[81] Fishing guides in the Kamloops area include: DNA Fly Fishing;[82] Interior Fly Fishing; Maricle Fly Fishing; Riseform Flyfishing;[83] and Fast Action Fishing Adventures.[84]
Kamloops' extensive trail network and desert-like climate creates conditions for year-roundmountain biking across the city. Popular parks include the Kamloops Bike Ranch,[85] Pineview Valley;Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area,[86] andKenna Cartwright Park. Two timeUCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships – Women's cross-country (2011 and2014), gold at the2014 Commonwealth Games and2016 Summer Olympics bronze medallistCatharine Pendrel lives and trains in Kamloops.[87] Kamloops is home to world-famous mountain bikers such as freeride pioneers and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame membersWade Simmons, Brett Tippie, (also a former Canadian National Team member forsnowboard cross and giant slalom), and Richie Schley.[88] FreeridersMatt Hunter, andGraham Agassiz also live in Kamloops.[89] Kamloops was featured in the first mountain bike film byGreg Stump,Pulp Traction, and later the first threeKranked films, which starred the original Fro Riders, Tippie, Simmons and Schley.
Ongoing trail maintenance has been spearheaded by local organizations such as the Kamloops Bike Riders Association, Kamloops Performance Cycling Centre, and Dirt Chix Kamloops.
Kamloops has highest number of golf courses (13) per capita in Canada and boasts one of Canada's most diverse golf landscapes. Golfers enjoy three seasons of golf due to the dry and hot climate of the area.[90] Several of the local golf courses have been designed by famous golf architects such asRobert Trent Jones, Graham Cooke, andTom McBroom.[90]
The 13 courses include: Tobiano Golf Course; The Dunes, Talking Rock Golf Course; Pineridge Golf Course; Rivershore Estates; Big Horn Golf & Country Club; Kamloops Golf & Country Club; Sun Peaks Golf; Eagle Point Golf Course; Mount Paul Golf Course, and Chinook Cove Golf.[91]
Sun Peaks Resort is a nearby ski and snowboard hill.Olympic medallist skierNancy Greene Raine is director of skiing at Sun Peaks and the former chancellor of Thompson Rivers University. The Overlander Ski Club runs the Stake Lakecross country ski area with 50 km (31 mi) of trails.
Lacrosse teams include theThompson Okanagan Junior Lacrosse League's Kamloops Junior B Venom, as well as thejunior ice hockey team theKamloops Storm. Also calling Kamloops home is theCanadian Junior Football League'sKamloops Broncos, andPacific Coast Soccer League'sKamloops Excel, both of whom play atHillside Stadium.
The Kamloops Rotary Skatepark atMcArthur Island Park is one of Canada's largest skateboard parks.[92] Also located at McArthur Island Park isNorBrock Stadium, the McArthur Island Sports and Events Centre and the McArthur Island Curling Club. The city boasts 82 parks which are great for hiking, including Kenna Cartwright Park, the largest municipal park in British Columbia.[93]
Kamloops is home to theWestern Hockey League'sKamloops Blazers who play at theSandman Centre. Alumni of the Kamloops Blazers includeMark Recchi,Jarome Iginla,Darryl Sydor,Nolan Baumgartner,Shane Doan,Scott Niedermayer,Rudy Poeschek andDarcy Tucker (Recchi, Doan, Iginla, and Sydor are now part-owners of the club). Two-time champion coachKen Hitchcock would later win theStanley Cup with theDallas Stars.
On 6 February 2016, Kamloops hostedHockey Day in Canada withRon MacLean andDon Cherry.[94]
Kamloops is the home of theWest Coast League'sKamloops NorthPaws who play atNorBrock Stadium.
Kamloops hosted the 1993Canada Summer Games. It co-hosted (withVancouver andKelowna) theIIHF World Junior Championship from 26 December 2005 to 5 January 2006. It hosted the 2006BC Summer Games and 2018BC Winter Games. In the summer of 2008, Kamloops, and its modern facility theTournament Capital Centre played host to the U15 boys and girls Basketball National Championship.
Kamloops hosted theWorld Masters Indoor Championships in March 2010.[95]
Kamloops hosted the 2011Western Canada Summer Games.
Kamloops hosted the2014 Tim Hortons Brier (The Canadian Men's Curling Championships).[96]
Kamloops hosted the2014 edition of the4 Nations Cup.[97]
Kamloops hosted the2016 IIHF Women’s World Championship at bothSandman Centre and the MacArthur Island Sports and Event Centre.[98]
Elections into the municipality in Kamloops are held with the rest of the province every four years.
Provincially, Kamloops is considered to bebellwether, having voted for the governing party in every provincial election since the introduction of parties to British Columbian elections, until 2017. By contrast, Kamloops has regularly voted against the party in power federally until the2006 Federal election. Kamloops is represented in two provincialridings –Kamloops-South Thompson andKamloops-North Thompson – and one federal riding –Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo.
Federal members of parliament:
Kamloops is located at the crossroads of theCoquihalla Highway,Yellowhead Highway, andTrans-Canada Highway and is a transportation hub in the region.
TheCanadian Pacific (CPR) and Canadian National (CNR) mainline routes connectVancouver in the west with Kamloops. The two railways diverge; CNR to the north and CPR and east, continuing to the rest of Canada.Kamloops North station is served two times per week (in each direction) byVia Rail'sCanadian.
TheRocky Mountaineer and theKamloops Heritage Railway both use theKamloops station.
Kamloops is home toKamloops Airport (YKA). Airlines flying to Kamloops include:Air Canada Express,WestJet Encore,Canadian North, andCentral Mountain Air, as well as three cargo airlines. Vancouver and Calgary are primary routes for passenger service to this regional airport. In 2018,Air Canada Rouge launched non-stop seasonal service from Kamloops to Toronto.[99]
Greyhound Canada previously connected Kamloops with Vancouver,Edmonton andCalgary, with service ending at the end of October 2018. After Greyhound's departure, several companies stepped in and commenced intercity service.Ebus and Rider Express both provide service to Vancouver and in between cities and towns, with Ebus connecting to other Interior cities like Kelowna and Vernon, and Rider Express continuing east to Calgary.[100]
Local bus service is provided byKamloops Transit System and funded throughBC Transit with 14 routes across the Kamloops area that are operated by contractorFirst Student Canada. In 2018, the City of Kamloops partnered with theTk'emlúps te Secwépemc to expand its services on Tk'emlups te Secwepemc land for Route 18: Mount Paul.[101]
TheKamloops Indian Residential School, part of theCanadian Indian residential school system opened in 1893 and ran until 1977.[102]
Public schools in Kamloops and adjacent communities are run bySchool District 73 Kamloops/Thompson.
Private schools include Kamloops Christian School, Our Lady of Perpetual Help School (Catholic), andSt. Ann's Academy (Catholic).
TheConseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique operates école Collines-d’or, a Francophone primary school.[103]
Thompson Rivers University[104] offers a range of undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as certificate and diploma programs. It hassatellite campuses in:
Thompson Rivers University also has an open-learning division.Thompson Rivers University, Open Learning (TRU-OL) is the biggest distance andonline education provider in British Columbia and one of the biggest in Canada. TheThompson Rivers University WolfPack are the athletic teams that represent Thompson Rivers University.
Thompson Career College andSprott Shaw College are private post-secondary institutions with campuses in Kamloops.
The city's main daily newspaper wasThe Kamloops Daily News which ceased publication in 2014.[105]The city was also home toKamloops This Week,[106] a free newspaper which ceased publication in 2023.
Below is a list of people who are from Kamloops, or who lived there for an extended period.
The city's name has been given to acrater on the surface ofMars.Crater Kamloops was officially adopted by theInternational Astronomical Union's Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (IAU/WGPSN) in 1991. The crater lies at 53.8° south latitude and 32.6° west longitude, with a diameter of 65 km (40 mi).[135][136]
Kamloops and surrounding areas have been used for various Hollywood films such asAn Unfinished Life,The A Team,2012,The Pledge,Shooter,Firewall,The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants,Monster Trucks, and various others.[139]
"The Eye of Jupiter", the eleventh episode of the third season ofBattlestar Galactica was filmed in Kamloops in 2006.
In 2018, Kamloops was a filming location for theNetflix seriesLost in Space[140] and a filming location forJurassic World: Dominion in 2020.[141]
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