Friday, February 20, 2026

🏛️ City Hall

The Red Bridge replacement won’t see a dime from the new provincial budget — and the next update won’t come until fall. Kamloops has been waiting on funding for this crossing, and the 2026 BC budget passed without any commitment, pushing the timeline further into limbo. (CFJC Today)

Tourism Kamloops is getting closer to building something iconic — just not sure where yet. The organization has locked in costs for three proposed landmark structures and is now evaluating potential sites. (CFJC Today)

---

🚨 Safety

54 people in Kamloops died from toxic drugs in 2025 — every one of them someone’s person. The BC Coroners Service released its annual numbers, showing Kamloops’ toll held roughly steady while the provincial total dipped below 2,000 for the first time in years. (CFJC Today)

School safety protocols across BC are under review after a shooting in Tumbler Ridge. Parent advisory councils are working with districts to keep families informed as the province reassesses how schools respond to threats. (CFJC Today)

Tk’emlúps has updated its residential school burial investigation — and still can’t say when it ends. The Nation continues pressing governments for records while acknowledging there’s no clear path to a conclusion for Le Estcwicwey. (The Wren)

---

📰 News

Lawsuits in New York are trying to block the $7B sale of New Gold to a US mining company. The legal challenges could complicate the deal that would transfer ownership of New Afton — and its 85 recently laid-off workers — to Coeur Mining. (Castanet)

A memorial skate is being held at Riverside Park for the three junior hockey players killed in a crash. Kamloops residents are invited to come out and remember them on the ice. (CFJC Today)

TRU WolfPack women’s volleyball is hosting playoff games for the first time in program history. A milestone for a program that has been quietly building toward this moment. (Castanet)

BC is moving to allow online driver’s licence renewals. Proposed legislative changes would let people replace or renew without visiting an ICBC location — a small but long-overdue convenience. (CFJC Today)

---

📅 Events

Ebony Roots by Sound the Alarm Music/Theatre — Feb 21–22. A musical journey through the evolution of Black music, from prison work-songs and spirituals to soul, blues, and Motown. Two nights, don’t miss it. (Kamloops BC Now)

Lift Every Voice — Feb 28. The KSO Chorus joins the Music School’s Children’s and Youth Choruses for an evening of choral music. (Kamloops BC Now)

TRU Day of Giving — Feb 26. The university aims to raise $80K in 24 hours. If TRU has touched your life, this is the day to give back. (Castanet)

---

🛣️ Roads & Weather

⚠️ Watch for falling rocks on Hwy 1 between Chase and Kamloops (Old Ferry Rd to Des Fosses Rd, 43 km stretch).

⚠️ Slippery sections on Hwy 1 between Kamloops and Chase (Old Ferry Rd to Coubeaux Rd). Updated this afternoon.

🚧 Hwy 1 W (Pacific Way to Copperhead Dr): Right lane closed through today, 9 AM to 4 PM. Electrical maintenance.

🚧 Hwy 1 E (Grand Blvd to Hook Rd): Shoulder grading ongoing, slow vehicles in the left lane.

⚠️ Snowing on Hwy 97D between Junction Hwy 97C and Meadow Creek Rd near Logan Lake.

(DriveBC)