Monday, April 13, 2026

📰 News

The Barnhartvale Landfill reopened Sunday after a Friday night fire shut it down for a day. Crews held an overnight fire watch through Saturday while monitoring lingering hot spots — the affected area is cordoned off and away from the public zone. Normal hours (8:30 AM–4:30 PM) resumed as conditions allowed. (CFJC Today)

Kamloops gets a stop on the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour — June 18, with Salmon Arm following two days later. The Canada Celebrates tour hits 38 communities from June 1 through the summer, mixing live match viewings, cultural programming, music, and food. Stop-specific details drop closer to the date. (Castanet)

Western Canada Theatre is turning 50 and asking the community that built it to help fund the next chapter. The B.C. Interior’s largest professional theatre company says donations support local playwrights, youth programming, and the craftspeople behind every production. (Castanet)

The Kamloops Farmers’ Market outdoor season kicks off Saturday, April 18. The Saturday market runs 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. — final preparations are underway ahead of the opening weekend. (CFJC Today)

Former Blazer Tommy Lafreniere scored his first professional goal Saturday night, potting one for the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors against the San Diego Gulls. (CFJC Today)

---

🚨 Safety

A man who returned to a Merritt restaurant to punch a waitress in the face — after she called police to report him for drunk driving — walked out of Kamloops provincial court Thursday with a year of probation. Rick Michael Downing, 52, pleaded guilty to assault. Court heard he was stopped by RCMP on a roadside suspension following the May 2024 incident, then drove back to confront the employee who’d reported him. (Castanet)

A grass fire near Merritt is under control at 808 hectares, but BC Wildfire Service warns further growth is possible. The Quilchena Creek fire sparked on Lower Nicola Indian Band land and is being watched closely given the dry conditions across the region. (CFJC Today)

---

📅 Events

Palate to Palette — an exhibit exploring the aesthetic connections between food, colour, form, and texture — continues Monday at the Old Court House (7 Seymour St W). (Castanet)

Coming Thursday, April 16: a free community session on supporting kids through substance misuse. (Castanet)

---

🛣️ Roads & Weather

🚧 Highway 1 (Trans-Canada), eastbound between Thompson River Dr and Deadman-Vidette Rd (1.6 km): utility work with single-lane alternating traffic, weekdays 8 AM–4 PM through Friday, April 17. (DriveBC)

🚧 Highway 1 (Trans-Canada), eastbound from Chase to 18 km west of Tappen (18.2 km): maintenance with single-lane alternating traffic through Friday, April 17 at 5 PM. (DriveBC)